The Heart of An Angel
by XeroSanity
Summary: The Winchesters reside at the Men of Letters' Headquarters, but are currently working a case. Upon coming back, there is a young woman who looks an awful lot like Castiel inside their home...but since the place is warded to high heaven, how could she possibly have gotten inside? More importantly, who is she?
1. Chapter 1: Intruder

**The Winchesters reside at the Men of Letters' Headquarters but are currently working a case. Upon coming back, there is a young woman who looks an awful lot like Castiel inside their home...but since the place is warded to high heaven, how could she possibly have gotten inside? More importantly, who is she?**

 **Author's note: I do not claim any of the characters, story or rights to the Supernatural Franchise. I only claim ownership and rights to the character I made up myself named Cassandra. That being said a note on the plot: It probably won't get brought up in this chapter but I should mention that I definitely came up with my own Mythology for this story that is not part of Supernatural. I'm not going to spoil any details at the moment, but it is very significant to the story.**

CHAPTER 1

Intruder

"I'm telling ya, Sammy, you should've kept it." Dean smirked, keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel as they headed farther west on the interstate.

The two brothers were on their way home from a case in Pennsylvania. It disturbed Dean how he wasn't in the shape he had been in his early twenties, and each time they had to battle something like a vamp nest or even just a poltergeist, each case was getting harder and harder and taking more of a toll on him physically.

He rolled his shoulder blade and winced a bit, still sore from their encounter.

"Yeah, Dean. The number of a girl who lives four states away. Totally." Dating was the last thing on his mind, and especially not just a late night hookup. Every woman he'd ever tried to have a connection with either got their heart broken or ended up getting killed. But to be honest, the pain of losing Jess had faded to a dull ache. A sadness and regret, but it didn't haunt him the way it used to.

"That's the first time a girl gave _you_ her number instead of me. You should've kept it."

Sam scoffed. "It's not the first time. Plus, don't we have more important things to worry about? Like I dunno, the Angels running rampant, killing Abaddon, the fact that Cas is AWOL-"

"- He probably just hasn't charged his phone." Dean smiled as their surroundings got to looking more familiar. It was extremely ironic that the boys had been from Kansas, and it also happened to be where the Men of Letters' Headquarters was located. The flatness of the landscape and open sky was a welcome reprieve from all the mountains and thick trees they had to drive through in Pennsylvania.

Sam leaned back in his seat and took a deep breath. "Well, it's a relief that you know your boyfriend so well. At least, we don't have to worry." The sarcasm was laced in Sam's tone like icing on a cake.

Dean averted his eyes, blushing at the word boyfriend. _Yeah, I wish._ "Cute. I'm probably never going to settle down but you definitely should. I can picture you with a wife and kids running around." He said it in a tone that was lighthearted, but he meant it; he wanted Sam to be happy.

"My track record with girls is not the cleanest."

Dean nodded. "No, no you're right. It's got blood splashed all over it."

Sam scowled. "You didn't have to go that far."

"Admit it, you walked into that one."

"Shut up."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

There was a lot between them that hadn't been settled. Sam was still sore about Dean's lie concerning Gadreel's possession, and he still felt responsible for Kevin's death, even though technically it had been Gadreel who performed the deed.

It would never make a difference to Sam, he saw it happen through his own eyes. But for the moment, at least, the two had to be on the same side so they could fight the impending threat of Metatron's tyranny and of course the pain in the ass who deemed herself, Abaddon.

They _did_ have a bit going for them. The leviathans were taken care of, Sam was in one piece (mostly) with no other company in his head, the Ruby incident was way in the past and neither of them were losing their minds.

For the first time in a while, they were just working together to save the world. _Again._

It was a couple more hours of being on the road before they finally pulled up to the familiar, towering structure of their home. Dean led the way and walked down the mini flight of stone stairs to get to the massive metal door, and turned the key.

The two brothers upon walking in set down their equipment on the table and threw down their bags. "Home sweet home," Dean said, unable to contain the smile on his face.

"God, I thought you would've gotten over the domestic kick you were on when we first got here."

"Shut up. It's called "nesting." And since this is our home you shouldn't walk around when your shoes are all muddy."

Sam did a double take as he shrugged off his brown Carhartt. "What are you talking about?"

Dean glared. "Look at the floor! It's covered in mud tracks."

Sam looked to where he gestured. "Um…Dean…"

They were both staring now and came to the same realization. "Wait…those are really small footprints." Dean looked up at Sam.

They were boot tracks, alright, caked in mud that led down the main hallway and around the corner. Way too small to be Sam or Dean's, or even Castiel's. And whatever kind of creature was strong enough to get into the Bunker when it was warded from every monster possible, was a force to be reckoned with.

Simultaneously Sam and Dean pulled out the guns and knives they had stored in the waist of their pants and the inside of their shirts and instantly went into stealth mode.

Someone was in the bunker. Or some _thing_.

* * *

Pistols at the ready, they walked slowly, peeking in each room with a flashlight. The tracks eventually led to one of the lower levels…

Where the bedrooms were.

The two brothers followed the tracks, which were getting less and less defined where it eventually led to the door of one of the bedchambers. Sam pushed the door of the room open with the tip of his gun and soundlessly pointed the flashlight in every corner of the room until he found a small backpack at the foot of the bed.

It was caked in mud, but through the muck, it was very obviously the bag of a young woman. It was a faded purple color with clothes spilling out the top, and a clear quartz charm attached to one of the zippers.

Sam took a deep breath in and pointed the tip of the flashlight slowly to the headboard…soundlessly closing in on the figure…

And then froze.

Sleeping peacefully was a young woman with dark brown hair, almost black that spilled all across the pillow in luscious waves. She was burrowed underneath the plushy comforter except for her left arm which was adorned with a silver bracelet.

"Dean," Sam spoke aloud. It was all he could say because he was dumbstruck. Even though she was asleep, he could tell that this woman was extremely striking. Her wrist was delicate, her fingers clutching the edge of the comforter even as she slept, as if she was used to being cold. She didn't even stir at the vocalization of Dean's name, signifying that she was exhausted.

"Her bracelet's silver," Dean said. "Not a werewolf. Or Fairy. Cancels out Skinwalker and Jefferson Starship-"

"That name wasn't supposed to catch on..."

"Shut up, it was brilliant."

The silver bracelet was a good sign. It crossed off a lot of potential creatures on the Index of Freaky Scary Monsters. Dean stared at it as it glistened in the flashlight's shine.

"She can't be a shifter, either."

"Or a wraith."

They both stared at her for a while.

Sam got a tense expression on his face. "Dean...what if she's just a normal human girl and we're staring at her sleep? Isn't that a bit invasive?"

"No, what's _invasive_ is a complete stranger just entering someone's home to crash for the night. And there's no way in hell she's human. A regular human isn't even supposed to be able to _find_ this place, let alone get in without the key."

She stirred, making both the brothers freeze, but she just shifted so she was laying on her right side, and cuddled deeper under the blanket.

The image tugged at Sam's heart, and even if she was a monster, he realized that he wouldn't have the heart to kill her. She was just too… _cute._ Even under the blanket, the silhouette of her womanly figure was very apparent, and Sam had to fight the urge to touch a lock of her dark hair. It flipped up at the ends and caught the light in a way that kept him frozen where he stood.

Sam cocked his head to the side, indicating that they should exit the room. Dean refused to budge. "Dean, let me out."

"We don't know what the hell she is, and you're just gonna walk out of-" But Dean caught the expression on Sam's face.

He looked at his older brother with sad eyes and a painful grimace on his face, shaking his head.

Dean lowered his blade. "You can't kill her."

Sam didn't answer, but still stared at the door behind them.

Dean looked at Sam, then back down to the woman. "Go."

Dean moved aside so Sam could get out of the room. The sting of his brother's stare still irking him as Sam exited. This did not make him weak. Wanting to preserve life was not weakness.

But he was lying to himself. He knew the real reason he had to get out of that room.

Because if it really came down to it, and he had to kill her, even if Dean's life was on the line, he wouldn't be able to do it. And that made Sam a liability and a failure as a hunter.

* * *

After Sam walked out, Dean got down on his knees to inspect the contents of the girls' bag with one hand, his knife at the ready in the other.

Holding part of the flashlight in his mouth and balancing the other part between his neck and shoulder, he sifted through the contents. No hex bags or spell books, so witch was out.

Dean decided to function on the assumption that she was –somehow –just a regular human. Even if that was the case, the bag's paraphernalia was still odd. Or rather, the _lack_ of it was odd.

Dean furrowed his brow as he processed the new found information. A few shirts, two tank tops, a rolled up pair of pants and a toothbrush were all he had found so far. No cellphone or wallet, no form of identification, or any sign that she was connected to the outside world, only a bar of soap in a zip-lock bag and a bundle of bills tied up in a hair band were at the bottom of the bag.

Other than that, nothing.

Dean tensed as something cold made contact with his hand. He took hold of it and pulled the object out of the bag.

A silver watch.

The hand moved with each passing second, showing that the watch still worked. It was banged up and aged but still clean enough that Dean could read the inscription on the back.

C. H. T.

Even including the stash of money, this was no doubt the most expensive item the girl owned. Dean pocketed it on the inside of his leather jacket.

She definitely appeared human. There was no way of telling if the watch actually belonged to her or if she pinched it from someone else, but it didn't make sense for a monster to steal a watch off of a human anyway. Especially one made of pure silver.

He looked again at the face of the girl. Even in sleep, her expression was tense. As if despite the fact she was in such a vulnerable state, she still had her guard up and would never be completely relaxed.

As a child, Dean had seen the same look on his Dad's face when he slept, and the women he'd spent the night with all told him he adorned the same expression before he woke.

The face of a drifter. Someone lost. A person who didn't have a home.

Whether it was the soft fullness of her mouth, the tininess of her nose or just the fact she looked dead tired, it stirred that same feeling he had for Sam when they were young.

The instinct to protect. Whatever the something was, it made Dean stow away his blade and turn off the flashlight. Dean silently left the room and closed the door behind him.

He wondered what the C stood for. Carly. Claire. Cindy. Courtney…

Dean started dialing Cas' number on his phone and then pressed the call button.

Whoever she was, the two brothers would find out when she woke up.


	2. Chapter 2: Cassandra

CHAPTER 2

Cassandra

Castiel was on the hunt for Metatron, a search that led him to La Junta, Colorado. Not the cleanest place on earth, but there was a nice little place that made burgers in every way you could possibly think of, which he had enjoyed immensely when he was human. But more importantly, it had outlets. Castiel plugged in his cellphone which had been dead for several hours. He cringed as the screen pinged to life and showed several missed calls from Dean, and a few from Sam as well.

He pressed the callback button and held the phone up to his ear. He answered on the first ring.

 _"Hey. You ok?_ "

The familiar grovel of Dean's voice was reassuring. It meant that they were doing fine in Castiel's absence.

"I'm fine, my phone was dead. How did the case go?"

 _"It was good, just the typical milk run. A few vamps ganked and we were home free. But uh…we need you to get here."_

Castiel instantly felt the ghost of anxiety in the pit of his vessel's stomach. "What's wrong?"

There was a pause on the phone on Dean's end, not a good sign. _"Nobody's hurt, but there's this girl here."_

Cas instantly rolled his eyes. "I fail to see how-"

 _"-Cas, she was here before we got back."_

Then it clicked. "What do you mean? Are you at the Bunker?" Cas lowered his voice at the mention of the Men of Letters Headquarters.

" _Yes. She seems like a regular human. Except she managed to get past all the security measures and warding on this place like a tank through a hen house and she doesn't have any form of I.D. We dunno who the hell she is but we figure Mr. Mind Reader would be a huge help. Is there any way you could put a hold on the search for Megadick?"_

Cas sat back in his bar stool, staring down as he thought, then sighed. "For now. I'll be there. Is she contained?"

"Uh…sort of. She's asleep."

This was just starting to sound weirder and weirder. "Leave the door unlocked."

 _"Mhm."_ The phone clicked.

With a few flaps of his wings, Castiel was in Lebanon, Kansas in front of the tall, leaf-covered structure that was the Men of Letters Headquarters.

He walked up to the door and pushed it open.

Upon entering, Cas suddenly felt a strong pulsing from within him, an aggressive pulling and tugging. He gasped for breath and stumbled.

The impulse to move forward was so strong but it only weakened his ability to walk.

"CAS!" Dean immediately rushed to help him up, bracing him over his shoulders.

Cas felt that his heart was about to burst from his chest. "NO. It's…It's impossible," he barely managed to gasp out, but Dean heard him.

"What?" Dean said, searching Cas' blue eyes for answers.

Sam immediately glanced down the hallway where he knew the Mystery Woman was sleeping. "She must be a monster. She's hurting you," his tone was full of remorse, despite his best efforts to disguise it.

"No," Cas said. "It's just…I feel the presence of an angel."

Dean scrunched his face in confusion. "You've been around angels hundreds of times and they never made you go all Artax in the swamp of Sadness-"

"-Dean." Sam cut him off.

"I don't see how my current state is comparable to a drowning Horse," Cas said, trying to ignore the pulling and longing flowing into him like a geyser that burst forth from the earth.

"She's an Angel?" Sam asked. "I thought Angels didn't sleep."

"They don't." The want turned into a need, an ache inside him he couldn't put a name to. It was getting ridiculously difficult to control and it was getting to the point that he didn't want to. It consumed his every thought. It couldn't be anyone else. There was no doubt in his mind. "I have to see her."

"Why? Who is she?" the suspense was starting to get to Sam, and Dean just kept looking at Cas, waiting for answers.

He looked them both in the eyes, not a trace of humor in them, and said quietly, "My sister."

* * *

" _He's here." The voice said._

" _Who?" she asked. She was floating in empty space, the familiar glint of her watch the only source of light._

 _She was going to wake up. She felt it. That transition into awareness. She heard the distant purr of a fan and hushed voices._

" _Don't you feel it?"_

 _She didn't know what the voice was talking about. All she knew was she had to wake up._

" _I'm asleep. I need to wake up," she said._

" _Then do it."_

She sat up quickly, gasping herself into consciousness. There was this dull ache inside her, like a longing. The anticipation of seeing someone you loved after a long time of being apart.

Her mouth tasted stale, she must have been asleep a very long time. She felt groggy, but her heart was pounding in her chest. She flipped a light on after getting out of bed, and didn't even take the time to see that her bag had obviously been rummaged through. She didn't care that all she was wearing was a tank top and pair of underwear, her heart was racing as she ran down the hallway, fueled by pure adrenaline.

From deep within her, a name surfaced from the dark depths of her soul like a leaf on the surface of a lake.

 _Castiel._

* * *

"Cassandra." The name felt soft and warm, like the sensation of putting a warm sock against your cheek, fresh out of the dryer. A comfort, a reminder of home. "She died thousands of years ago. I saw her die. She isn't supposed-"

"-Hold on hold on, slow down a second. You never mentioned that you had a sister." Dean helped the Angel get to a standing position, looking at him with a skeptical expression.

Cas took a breath. "Angels are created in pairs. She and I were formed from the same energy. We were trained as members of the same Garrison. We were inseparable." Memories of when she got her first angel blade and became an official Angel of the Lord came rushing back to him. The countless times they healed each other and soared through God's blue skies together, back when his wings shined pure white. "She was my Sam." His voice cracked on the last word.

Dean stiffened, a bit uncomfortable. This was the most vulnerable he's ever seen Castiel, and especially in regards to another Angel.

Sam looked at Cas with a sad expression, feeling a pang in his heart. And at the same time a fluttering in his stomach. He could put a name to the face.

 _Cassandra._

"We fought alongside each other for millennia until-" he paused and took in a sharp breath, his eyes going wide.

Sam and Dean followed his gaze to the entryway of the hall.

A young woman stood before them. A few inches shorter than Castiel, but with hair the same shade of brown as his, and the same set of striking blue eyes.

Her hair was a mess and she wore a light blue tank top with polka dot underwear. Her cheeks were flushed as if from running. "I feel like I know you," her voice quivered, and it sounded like the soft tinkling of bells.

Sam froze where he stood, his heart pounding in his chest. The resemblance between them was obvious, except she had soft curves and full pink lips that Sam kept glancing down at. She didn't have the largest chest in the world but it was an appropriate size for her stature, and she had small feet.

 _Like the footprints._

"You do." Cas said quietly. Without another word he immediately closed the distance between them in three huge strides and took her in his arms, lifting her from the ground. "It's impossible. It's just impossible," he kept saying over and over, tears streaming down his face. The longing was still inside him but it was sated for the moment, getting to hold his baby sister in his arms again.

She closed her eyes and burrowed into Castiel's coat, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. "You're Castiel," she said softly.

The Winchesters stood, dumbfounded, not totally believing the sight in front of them.

"And to think we almost ganked her," Dean said.

"Dean!" Sam hissed, and Dean immediately shut up.

At the sound of their voices, Cassandra immediately looked up at them and gasped. "Shit!" She saw the guns and knives on the table and immediately tried to hide in Castiel's chest.

"No no, it's okay. They're friends. They aren't going to hurt you," Cas said soothingly, stroking her hair.

She looked again at the two men behind her and climbed down from Castiel's embrace so her feet were on the floor. Her eyes held an unspoken question. _Who are you?_

Dean regarded her with suspicion. "How about you sit down and we can talk?" He pulled out a chair for her.

Cassandra stiffened, her eyes darting between him and the chair. She was behaving almost like a wild animal, her eyes moving around the room, surveying her surroundings and situation.

She was acting as if she were looking for an escape.

"You aren't my friends," she said hesitantly. "I don't have friends."

"We're not gonna hurt you and all we want is answers, so I'd say we're acquaintances at least." But Dean still seemed wary.

"Friends don't steal," she pointed out, her eyes darting to his pocket.

Sam looked over at Dean with a confused expression. "Dean?"

Without flinching, Dean pulled out her watch. "Leverage," He said, not batting an eye.

Her eyes widened. That watch was the most important thing she ever owned. It meant everything. She held her breath.

Dean walked over to her in slow steps. "Cas is a good friend of ours. If you're really his sister, we shouldn't have any problems. But the thing is, if you're an angel, you still shouldn't've been able to get in here." He crossed his arms.

But now it was her turn to look confused. _Angel?_ "Are you… _hitting_ on me?"

Dean's eyes went wide. "Uh…no." He looked to Cas in confusion, then back at Cassandra. "Don't you know what you are?"

She took a step backward. " _No_. What exactly _am_ I?" She immediately became defensive.

He rolled his eyes. "Cut the crap, okay? You knew Castiel's name. You got into the most heavily guarded place on the planet from creatures that go bump in the night like it was the freakin' _Deathstar_ , and the resemblance between you two is really starting to creep me out. So tell us what you're deal is, how you got here, why you're here, and we can straighten this whole mess out."

Her eyes narrowed at him, and she crossed her arms. "First of all, this place isn't _guarded_ at all. There's no surveillance cameras or security _anywhere,_ there was no one here when I came in the door and the place looked _abandoned_. All I wanted was a place to sleep since I'd been walking nonstop for three days. And I never would've come in here if I knew someone lived here but the door was unlocked and it was raining-"

"—Wait what do you mean, unlocked?" Sam said, walking over. "Um…and I'm Sam." A light blush started to creep its way across Sam's cheeks, and he couldn't make eye contact with her.

She took a step back but cooled down a bit. "Hi. I'm Cassie. And by unlocked I mean the door was cracked open. I was exhausted out of my mind and I just found this place when a huge storm was going on-"

"-Storm?" Sam replied. He immediately went on his phone, checking the forecast, then frowned. "It rained in central Kansas five days ago."

Cassie's eyes widened. "No. That can't be. There's no way I've been sleeping for five days."

It was then that Sam took a closer look at her. Cassie's hair was still beautiful but it was a bit greasy and she had a major case of bedhead. There were bags under her eyes and she still had grime from the mud that must've accumulated when it rained.

"Look, um…" he ran his hand through his hair in nervousness. "You're not exactly…dressed." He looked up at the ceiling. "Um…maybe we can talk about everything after you've showered and uh…stuff." By this point, his face was beet red.

 _Oh, shit._ It just registered to her that she was in her pajamas…covered in mud…and in her underwear in front of three guys.

They all seemed to come to the same conclusion simultaneously. "Fine. But make it quick," Dean said, averting his eyes.

"Where's your bathroom." It was a request to get out of the room.

"I'll show you," Sam said, being careful not to look at her, and walked first down the long hallway.

She followed close behind, looking back at the man who had picked her up and held her like she was his family.

He shot her a megawatt smile.

* * *

"So, what is this place?" She asked after they had been walking for a while.

Sam cleared his throat, jumping a little at the sound of her soft voice. _God, what am I, an adolescent? When's the last time I was this jumpy around a girl?_

"Well, it's the largest collection of information on creatures of the Supernatural."

"Wait, you mean like Bigfoot and Dracula?"

Sam smirked. "Yeah, you could say that. It's like the…Area 51 of all things creepy. It's a miracle that you found this place, let alone made it inside without the key. My brother and I thought you were just a human."

Cassie stiffened. "I am."

Sam stopped suddenly and turned around to face her. "Apparently you're an Angel."

"Ugh, you too? What does that even _mean_?" She crossed her arms, a bit red in the face. This was the first time she could see up close how attractive Sam was. He was way taller than her, of course, and had glossy chocolate brown hair that she wanted to run her fingers through. His eyes were warm and piercing at the same time, and she found herself mentally tracing the line of his jaw over and over. His gaze seemed soft and genuine. Somehow, Cassie knew she could trust him. She looked down at the ground, squirming a bit where she stood.

Sam noticed and blushed in return. "In this world, there are things like werewolves, ghosts, demons…and angels."

Suddenly Cassie's expression became tense and defensive. "Angels don't exist."

Sam was surprised at the fact that out of everything he'd just listed, Angels were the creature that seemed the least likely to exist to her. He opened his mouth to make a retort but she just continued on. "I've come across a lot of freaky shit in my life, and not all of it pleasant. Ghosts and demons I can believe in, because they're everywhere. I fight my own every day I choose to wake up. But in all that time I have _never_ met an Angel."

Sam took a deep breath. "Well…now you have. Castiel is an Angel. And apparently you're his sister."

A shudder went through Cassie, and she put a hand over her mouth to catch her whimper. _I have a brother?_

"Here, this is the bathroom." Sam opened a door to reveal a shower and the basic bathroom necessities. "We don't have the fanciest shampoo, but it should do the job. I have my own conditioner in there, you can use it. And I'll get you some towels, I'll be right back."

He walked off to a room parallel to the bathroom, leaving Cassie alone with her thoughts for a few precious moments.

So she had a brother. And he was an angel. _Like a real one? With wings?_ If so, where had he been all her life? And why had she gone through hell and back if she was an Angel of Heaven? Did that mean Heaven was real? That there really is a-

He came back with two towels, and a washcloth for scrubbing folded on top. "Here," he said softly, slowly handing them to her.

His body language was almost submissive but obviously meant to send a specific message. _I am not a threat. I will not hurt you. I come in peace._

"Thanks." She was a bit quiet.

Sam's eyes flickered down to hers, brimming with concern. "Are you okay? I know this is a lot for you to take in at once, but just know if you need anything you can ask me or Dean." But then he frowned. "Actually, just ask me. Dean's a bit… _defensive_ right now."

Cassie suppressed a smile. "You mean _Blue Steel_? His name is Dean?"

Sam flashed a big smile and failed not to laugh. "Yeah. He's my brother. He really is a good guy he's just…really protective of us, that's all. The rest of my family is dead and gone. We're all we've got, and we haven't lived this long by being careless."

She nodded in understanding. She stepped into the bathroom and was about to close the door.

"Oh, and uh…Cassie?"

She turned to face him, half hidden by the door.

He leaned down a bit so they were at eye level. "It's all real. Angels, Heaven...even God."

"You've met _God_ too?" she couldn't hide the bitterness from her tone.

"Well…no. But if angels are real and monsters are real then why wouldn't the rest of the stories about Heaven be true?"

She sighed. "You know what, Sam? If there _is_ a God, then he's not worth my time. Because he created a whole world and filled it with chaos and then left his children to fend for themselves. Heck, _apparently_ he can't even keep track of his own damn Angels. So to be honest, I don't think that his existence matters. Because God or not, it's obvious that we're on our own."

She looked up at Sam with a softened expression, gently patted his chest with the tips of her fingers in an _I won't be long_ gesture, and closed the door in front of her.


	3. Chapter 3: Answers

Chapter 3

Answers

Cassandra moaned quietly as the scorching water rained down on her skin. The burn of the steam washed away every bit of mud and sleep that clung to her. Her first shower in a week was heaven. She took her time scratching her scalp as she worked the shampoo into her hair, and scrubbed herself all over twice. She had a habit of singing in the shower without realizing it, and since she began to relax she started softly singing _Hey Jude_ to herself. She swayed a bit to the music playing in her head as she was finishing up.

When the water started to run a bit cold, she turned off the faucet and rung out her hair. In the tight space of the hot and forgiving shower, everything that had happened to her in the past hour ceased to exist, if only just for a moment.

She stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, wrapping a towel around her head and wringing out the small washcloth she had been given for washing, hanging it over the side of the tub.

She wrapped her body in the other towel and tip toed up the hallway to where she had slept to get dressed.

After she brushed her hair and ran her fingers through her scalp to loosen the strands, she glanced outside the entryway of her door.

Now, to get her watch back. And get some answers.

* * *

Dean paced around in thought, waiting for Sam to get back. "Cas, can you explain any of this?"

Castiel stood glancing in the direction that Sam and Cassie had gone. "I'd begun to think that my Father had abandoned us, but the only way this could be possible-"

"-What? _"It's a Godsend_?" Really? Even if she's really your…sister-"

Dean stopped as he saw the look on Cas' face, the tears still damp on his cheeks. _Don't look at me like that, Angel._ "Okay. There's no mistake, she's your sister. Fine. But if she's supposed to be dead-"

"-Dean, I don't know. And I don't usually say this when it comes to things like this…but I don't care. I have my sister back. I'm not going to question it, it's a miracle. You and Sam have come back from the dead more times than should be possible for humans, but Angels..."

Dean crossed his arms. "You've been brought back. You resurrected after being destroyed by Lucifer, Leviathans, Naomi dragged your ass outta Purgatory, and Gadreel brought you back when April stabbed you. Hell, you're the _textbook example_ of Comeback-Kid. It's not weird that she could be brought back from the dead. What's _weird_ about all this is she seems... _normal_."

Castiel's expression grew somber, as he paced around thinking. "Yes. I wouldn't count on her having any memories from…before. Her mind might've been completely wiped. We'll get answers when she comes back."

Dean looked up at the sound of Sam's footsteps coming back up the hall. He raised an eyebrow at his younger brother's appearance. Sam's face was a bit flushed and his hair was frizzy on one side like he'd ran his fingers through it too many times.

"Why are you all frazzled looking? Did you get lucky in the past five minutes?" Dean smirked.

Sam's eyes widened and then he frowned. "God, Dean." He sat down at the work table and opened up his laptop. Nothing had happened between them, just conversation, but Sam's skin still tingled underneath his shirt where she had touched him. He was typing at a rapid pace, his eyes darting over the screen.

"Sammy, tell me you're not looking for another case when we have a Skywalker reunion on our hands." Dean walked over to see what Sam was doing.

"No, I'm looking for a place we can get food around here. Fast." Sam was mentally kicking himself for not asking her what kind of food she liked.

"Good idea, I'm starving." Dean walked into the kitchen to grab a beer form the fridge.

Sam scowled. "I mean for _Cassie_."

"Cassandra," Castiel snapped, taking a defensive stance.

Sam stiffened, but was saved from Castiel's glare by Dean. "How do we even know that she eats?" He snapped the cap off of his Budweiser and took a swig.

He wasn't sure why but Sam immediately got on the offensive. "Well, _maybe_ because she needs basic necessities like sleep and showers…I dunno, kind of like… _us._ Since we happen to be _human_."

"Don't throw that crap at me, monsters get hungry too," Dean countered, but he had to admit Sam had a point. Angels don't shower, sleep, or need a place to crash for the night. Angels can poof themselves wherever they need to be, but she said she had been walking for three days straight. "Order Chinese." He demanded.

"I'll get it," Cas said, and poofed out of the bunker.

Both the brothers looked at each other. "Does he even have any money on him?" Dean asked.

Sam sighed and shrugged, turning back to the computer. "I'll order a pizza just in case."

After a few minutes of pacing back and forth, Dean was getting more restless. "She's been in there a while," he said, growing suspicious.

 _Lay off her._ "Yeah, I'd be in there for a long time too if the last time I showered was five days ago," Sam retorted. Once again, he was on the defensive.

Dean did a double take, and looked at his brother. "You're defending her."

Sam flushed. "Well, _yeah._ You're acting like a jerk towards her when she's obviously not a threat to us." He kept staring at the screen, scrolling aimlessly.

He moved so he could see Sam's face, a small smile slowly appearing on Dean. "Nah, that's not it. You _like_ her."

Sam glared at Dean, but didn't say anything. He closed the lid of his laptop and opened up a book that was resting on the table, avoiding eye contact.

Dean chuckled. "Oh man, and you have it _bad_ , too." He took a gulp from his beer.

"Shut up. We don't even know how old she is, so who's to say that would even be _legal_?"

Dean grinned. "Well, if she really _is_ Cas' sister, then you'd be bangin' a cougar."

Sam stared up at him with no trace of humor in his expression. It was bad enough he knew what she looked like in her underwear, and her soft, luscious curves were ingrained into his mind like hieroglyphics. "Shut. The hell. Up."

Dean looked like he was two seconds away from singing, _Sammy and Cassie sittin' in a tree…_

"How about you go see what's taking her so long if you're so suspicious?" He asked, desperate to get off the subject.

Dean couldn't stop smiling. "Sure thing, lover boy," and he headed off down the hall, beer in hand.

Sam scoffed, continuing to read.

Dean walked down the familiar hall, a bit ticked off. He had his blade sheathed in the back of his pants, the worn leather a familiar sensation against his skin, just in case. He couldn't deny that he was drawn to her. Not in the way that Sam was, more the way a child is drawn to a tiger at a zoo. The sadness and intensity held in the animal's eyes at being taken from its home and put in a strange place. And at the same time, how beautiful and striking such a rare creature was to see.

And even though she was defensive and distrustful, he felt protective of her. Castiel was an angel and for the most part, he could take care of himself but this was a whole different scenario. Cassandra didn't seem to show any signs of having powers, but at the same time how had she known that Dean took her watch? Especially since she'd been dead asleep when it happened? She reacted to the weapons and Sam and Dean the way a normal human girl would, but she knew Castiel's name like her own. So, what the hell?

A soft voice stopped Dean's thoughts in their tracks.

" _Remember, to let 'er under yo skinnnn….then you begin…to maaake iiiit beeetteeer….."_

 _Shit,_ Dean thought, an immediate pain in his chest blossoming. _Why that song…what the hell? Is she doing it on purpose?_

But she just kept singing as if she didn't know anyone was there. Her voice was soft and sweet but powerful at the same time, keeping Dean frozen where he stood.

"Beeetter Better better better Better BETTER BAAAAHHHH!" She sang, and Dean found a chuckle escaping. She wasn't John Lennon, but she sure as hell had a great voice.

The sharp pain changed into a soothing balm, and Dean's heart slowed.

She hadn't bolted, and other than the fact she was supposed to be some Angel of the Lord she seemed really…normal. Singing and taking forever in the shower was a pretty typical human-girl thing to do. _Maybe she's harmless._

When he heard the water turn off, Dean started walking back up the hall.

He was willing to believe she was human.

* * *

Sam's heart was thudding in his chest. He caught himself anticipating seeing Cassandra again. She was just so… _captivating_. She looked a lot like Cas but she held features that were definitely her own. The crease she got in her forehead when she was mad, her sweet smile, and the tips of her delicate fingers.

Dean was right, he was attracted to her. Despite the fact she was basically Cas' female counterpart, he was drawn to her the moment he saw the way the ends of her hair flipped up, and the soft pink of her mouth-

Sam straightened up when Dean reappeared with a troubled expression on his face.

"She'll be out soon," he said without another word, sitting at one of the love seats and laying down, closing his eyes.

"What happened? You look-"

"-Nothing." He didn't elaborate.

A few minutes later they heard soft foot falls coming from the hallway and they both looked up at the same time.

Sam tensed. _God she was even prettier after a shower._ Her long dark hair was black from being damp and her eyes were bright. She looked so cute all squeaky clean and in fresh clothes. She wasn't wearing any socks so Sam could see her tiny little toes, and it made him smile.

Cassandra glanced at Sam warmly, and sat on the table top next to him. "Thank you for letting me use the shower. I feel tons better." Her smile was sweet and genuine, and only for him.

Sam couldn't hold back a smile himself. "Of course, no problem."

"Alright love birds, interrogation time. How about you start from the beginning, sweetheart." Dean got up from the couch and walked over to stand parallel to where she was sitting.

She frowned. "How about you give me back my watch, _Blue Steel."_

Dean felt more at ease with her now since the shower incident, and smiled warmly. "I take that as a compliment." He pulled the watch from out of his pocket. "Why is this so important?"

Cassie felt more at ease around him too. The talk with Sam really put things into perspective. He was a guy protecting his family, not a villain. "It was a gift."

"From who?"

"I don't know," she said. "The day after my fifteenth birthday I woke up and it was on my nightstand. I have no idea who gave it to me but I've had it for the past seven years and it's as much a part of me as my hands and feet are."

Dean looked again at the initials. "C.H.T?"

"Cassandra Hope Trevelyan," she stated. "But that wasn't always my name. When I was born my parents named me Sarah Rose." She bit her lip like the memory made her uneasy.

Dean sat down at the table. "Give us some answers as to who you are, and we'll give you the ones we know. Sound fair?" He held the watch in the palm of his hand and offered it to her.

She looked at Dean dead on, nodded, and took the watch back, slipping it on her wrist with ease alongside the bracelet she wore. "What do you want to know?"

"You said you'd been walking here for three days. Why?"

Sam looked up her from his chair, hanging on her every word.

She sighed. "Six years ago something happened where a lot of people got… _hurt_. I've been on the run ever since. I've walked all across the country. Every once in a while I relied on the kindness and hospitality of others, but I never stayed in one place too long."

Sam and Dean both stiffened. This was starting to sound too familiar. "Were your parents um… _hunters_ , by chance?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What? No. My father's never killed anything in his life, especially not deer or anything. My mother was out of the picture before I could remember her."

Sam and Dean exchanged a look. _Not that kind of hunting._ "Why'd ya change your name?" Dean asked.

She shifted so her legs were seated pretzel style. "When I started going to school, teachers asked me to write my name on worksheets, and once I knew how to use the alphabet I'd always write Cassandra, even though my name was Sarah. My father didn't think much of it, he just thought it was a phase I was going through until I got to high school and I told him I wanted my name changed. He asked me why. I said simply, "Because Sarah is not my name." He had no idea why I had such an aversion to the name Sarah or such a strong connection to the name Cassandra, but it just never went away and I felt that it was the name I was meant to have. It was like if someone was born a girl when they know they should've been born a boy."

 _It's because it's her Angel name,_ Dean thought, giving her an once-over. Looking at her now, the name Sarah never would've fit her. It must have been frustrating growing up being told you were one thing when you were something else.

And that posed another question. "So you were…born, and you grew up, and you had parents?"

Cassie looked at Dean with a, "Duh," expression on her face. "Yeah, that's usually how it works."

"Not for us. And not for Angels," Dean countered. "Go on."

Cassie sighed, taking a breath. "So on my fifteenth birthday I got my name legally changed to Cassandra Hope Trevelyan, and now I have the same initials as my father, Christopher Howard Trevelyan. A few months later my father passed away."

"How?" Dean asked.

Cassie frowned. "Looking back, his death was really odd. He was only in his early forties but he died in his sleep. The results of the autopsy stated that there was nothing wrong with his body, he appeared to be perfectly healthy. I was devastated. He was the only person I had in the whole world. My mother was M.I.A., and I had no other relatives so I was handed down to the foster care system. I jumped from family to family because I got myself into trouble. Then I was finally given to a family that seemed to find common ground with me. I got good grades in school, I was in the School Choir, and I even had a brother and sister. I was happy."

Sam felt that shift in the air, like this was when the story would turn for the worse. "What made you leave?" he asked softly.

She looked down into his eyes, a sadness pooling in her own like rain on a lily pad. "You guys are never gonna believe me."


	4. Chapter 4: Goodbye

Chapter 4

Goodbye

Dean crossed his arms. "You'd be surprised."

She took a deep breath. "On the night of a chorus concert in my sophomore year of high school, I had a solo. It was _A Broken Wing_ by Martina McBride and it's a song that requires very powerful vocals. On the last note I had to sustain it for a long time-" her voice faltered and all of a sudden tears sprung from her eyes and she got quiet.

Dean's face scrunched up. "Wait, let me get this straight...you left your entire life at sixteen years old because you were embarrassed about going all Jim Carey singing _Somebody to_ _Love_ on everyone?"

Sam scowled. "Dean, I really don't think this is the time. Also, of all things to reference… _The Cable Guy?_ "

"Shut up."

"What's wrong." Castiel suddenly appeared with a bag of food, but at the sight of Cassandra crying he immediately put it down and went to her, pressing his fingers to her forehead and preparing to heal her pain, but then realized it was emotional pain she was going through. "Why is she crying?" For some reason his glare immediately went to Sam.

He held his hands up. "I didn't do anything! She was telling us her story."

"You two didn't need to interrogate her, I could've just gotten the information myself," he said harshly, and he gently pressed a finger to her forehead, searching Cassandra's mind. She thought it was odd that he had a finger on her head for such an extended period of time but she got the gist that he was looking for something.

He saw that she'd been born as a normal human. But ever since she could talk she called herself Cassandra, even though everyone else called her Sarah. She talked to animals as a toddler, she was very in sync with her intuitive instincts, and when she went through puberty she became very sensitive to sound and started having dreams about flying. Then he saw a concert hall made entire out of glass shatter…

Castiel pulled away, and a contemplative expression took control of his face. "She's…she's human but angel at the same time. The only way this could be possible is if her grace were planted into a human…but Cassandra would be self-conscious and aware of the fact she was possessing someone." He looked down at her. "Did you obtain this human's permission?"

She shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, her head swimming with confusion.

Possession. Vessel. Grace. All new words, none of them making any sense.

"A human vessel can't hold an angel's grace unless they are willing," he prompted.

"This body is mine. I'm not some Casper ghost or something, I'm just _me_."

"But you're not a regular human," he insisted, looking her straight in the eye. "You understood animals as a child. You had dreams of flying through clouds, and your voice - "

" - You _saw_ everything?!" She asked, astonished. "Can Angels _do_ that?"

Castiel took her hand in both of his. "Yes, we can. You can, too. You just don't know it yet." He gingerly tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "You're not the warrior you used to be, but you are _still_ my sister. I don't care what you've done in the past, you have a new life now. You are safe here. You don't have to keep running anymore."

"Cas," Dean ruined the moment. "What happened on the night of the concert?"

Castiel looked at Sam and Dean, then back down at Cassie. "You don't have to say it, I'll tell them."

She nodded, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her red plaid shirt.

"Angel voices are at such a high frequency that they shatter glass, alter the flow of electricity, and destroy anything it comes into contact with, like when I first tried to communicate with Dean. When she sang the last note of the song, it triggered her Angelic voice and it shattered the glass of the concert hall. The shards fell and staked several people."

Dean was suddenly on the defensive, glaring at Cassie. _So she's killed before, then. She's no different than any other Monster we've come into contact with._

Sam's eyes widened with shock, but his fear evaporated almost immediately. Her crystal blue eyes were shiny from crying and she had a hand over her mouth. She looked so frail and vulnerable it pulled Sam's heart strings. He wanted to protect her.

"It was an accident," she managed to gasp out. "I had no idea that I was…an... _Angel_. I didn't know anything. I mean I know I'm… _different_ from normal people. But I never thought-"

"-That you were a _monster_?" Dean's jaw tensed.

"Dean!" Sam scolded, immediately getting up and standing in front of Cassie. "That's enough. She said it was an accident. She was only sixteen."

"You know, now that you mention it, I remember reading a case in Dad's journal about a Concert Hall in Vermont that mysteriously shattered. The kill count was seventy eight people, and thirty six were injured. There was no sign that a gun had been used, and any witnesses who could've reported anything were either unconscious or dead."

"I'm sorry!" She sobbed. "I never meant to hurt anyone. I'd never killed anything in my life! Not even bugs when they got into the house."

The weight of the situation hit Dean like a freight train. "She can't stay here," he said.

Sam's heart fell in his chest. "Dean, it was an accident. It happened years ago."

"She's _dangerous_! She has powers that _she_ obviously can't control, Sam!"

"Dean-" Cas began.

"- I'm sorry, Cas. But whether she means to be or not, she's a freakin' mine field and I'm not walking across that crap. She should be in prison or dead by now. You need to find another place for her."

Cassie gasped. His words felt like a slap.

Sam was starting to feel sick. He'd known this woman for less than twenty four hours but he already felt connected to her. "She doesn't have anywhere else to go, Dean! She's Cas' sister. We can't make her leave, it's our responsibility to help her!"

"Who decided that? Last time I checked she's a grown woman who can take care of herself. She's done pretty well so far."

Sam was almost shivering with rage. "How can you be so _heartless_?!"

Cassandra flinched, turning away. "No, he's right. It's why I never stayed in one place for too long. I've hurt people." She turned to leave. "I'll pack my things."

 _No._ "Cassie-" Sam gently took hold of her wrist.

"It's okay Sam," she said quietly, fighting more tears. "I never meant to stay here anyway, remember? If I'd know that people lived here I never would've come here in the first place."

"No. Cassie, think about it…what were the odds that you'd ever find yourself here? Maybe it was meant to be." He leaned down a bit so they were at eye level.

She lost the ability to breathe when Sam looked into her eyes with such intensity, and for a moment, she wished with all of her being that his words were true.

"Sam's right. If you hadn't come here and Dean hadn't called me…" Castiel couldn't continue.

 _You never would've found me_ , she thought, regarding her brother with warmth.

"It was coincidence." Dean wasn't letting up.

Sam pulled his gaze way from Cassie to look at his brother. "When has _anything_ in our life _ever_ been coincidence?"

There was a silence.

"She's an angel. Raised human or not, under normal circumstances I would take her to heaven with me. But at the moment-"

"-No," Cassie immediately growled. "If there really is a God, then he abandoned me. He let me grow up without a mom, let me suffer, let my father die for no reason at all, and let me struggle my entire life. He _obviously_ doesn't care about me. So _fuck_ heaven, _fuck_ him, and _fuck_ all of you _._ "

She ripped herself from Sam and stomped out of the room down the hallway.

The absence of her touch was unsettling. It was an emptiness that clung to Sam's fingertips.

Castiel got the most depressed look on his face, like with every word she'd said had been a dagger in his heart. All of a sudden he vanished.

Dean threw his hands up. "Son of a bitch." He pulled his phone out and started dialing.

Sam tensed. "Dean, what are you doing?"

"Calling Garth. I'll take her to his place until we figure out what to do with her."

Sam shook his head. "If she's such a huge threat, then why are you throwing her on Garth? We should just keep her _here._ "

Dean ignored his brother as Garth answered. "Garth? Yeah hey. I need a favor," he paced around with his head lowered as he talked.

"Dammit, Dean! Stop!" Sam was five seconds away from ripping the phone out of his brother's hand.

"There's a girl here that we need you to keep safe for a few days. It's temporary." Dean shot Sam a warning glare, but Sam wasn't giving up.

He walked briskly over to Dean. "This is the safest place for her. You're blowing this whole thing out of proportion-"

Dean put his hand over the phone and hissed hurriedly, "You're not thinking clearly. You're emotionally involved in this, so shut your trap and let me handle this!

Sam clammed up and crossed his arms. He took notice of the bag of Chinese food and walked over to it, grabbing a random carton and a fork, and walking in the direction of the hall.

* * *

Cassie rolled up her dirty clothes and stuffed them into her bag. She placed the wad of bills in the outside pocket of the backpack so it would be easily accessible, then laced up her combat boots.

She jumped as she heard a soft knock at the door.

 _"Hey. I have food."_ It was Sam's voice.

She walked over to the door, turning the knob to see the tall, dark and handsome man she'd come to know as Sam and saw he came bearing gifts.

"I can't get Dean to change his mind. But you should eat something before you go."

"I'm not hungry," she lied, pushing the door farther open to signal that he could come in.

"Yes you are, you haven't eaten in five days."

"Actually it's been six," she said, but at proving his point, she resigned and took the carton from him, sitting pretzel style on the bed. "Thank you."

Sam nodded, sitting at the chair by the desk.

She opened it and took a bite. It was vegetable lo mein. She immediately started scarfing it down, not caring that it was scorching the hell out of her throat. She suddenly blushed when she realized that Sam was watching her.

She swallowed. "Women get really self-conscious when someone watches them eat."

Sam got a bit of color in his cheeks. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to creep you out, It's just because…I mean I think Dean is completely overreacting. You're obviously human. You sleep, eat, and need showers just like the rest of us. You don't need to go anywhere."

She frowned, taking a smaller bite and speaking as she chewed. "No he's right. I probably have power I don't even know I have…I could hurt someone without meaning to. And I don't want to hurt you…" she said the last part quietly.

Sam's heart fluttered. "Cassie…I've been through hell and back. _Literally._ The things I've taken on…and conquered…you're not scary to me."

Her eyes widened with curiosity. "How do you guys know so much about this stuff anyway? Are you guys Team Helsing or something?"

 _At least she didn't say Ghost busters,_ he thought. "Pretty much. We kill monsters. We protect people. We hunt demons, exorcise ghosts, stake vampires…you name it."

She froze, unbelieving.

Sam grinned. "Now it's _your_ turn not to believe me," he said.

She chewed a bit more and swallowed. "Well…it explains all the weapons on the table at least. You're not serial killers. Well, I mean _technically_ you are…but for a good cause." She giggled. "Does that mean all vampires and werewolves and stuff like that are bad?"

"No," he said with all seriousness.

She made eye contact with him again and blushed. _God, he's attractive._

"I wanted to ask you something," he said softly.

She nodded, urging him to continue.

"Would you want to try lending me your watch? You said you don't know who gave it to you…maybe it can give some clues as to who you are."

She looked down at it, the familiar pulse of the hand moving as the seconds past a reassuring weight on her wrist. "I…"

"It wouldn't be forever. I'd give it back to you. Dean thinks we're going to ship you off somewhere I guess, but _I'm_ going to keep tabs on you and make sure you're okay. It's the least I can do." His eyes shined with good intentions.

Cassie's heart sped up and she felt her face grow hot. _Oh God._ "Okay." She slipped it off her wrist and handed it to him.

"I'll keep it safe, I promise," he said gently.

She nodded, feeling her palms get sweaty. _God dammit what is wrong with me? I've never been this nervous around a guy since…ever._

"And I'll give you something," he said, pulling open the drawer of the desk to reveal a glistening blade. Sam got up out of his chair and got on his knees by the bedside. He held it out to her, the silver handle pointed in her direction. "I used to use this on hunts. You should be armed with something, at least."

"What is it?" She asked, looking at it with intrigue.

"It's called a S _uan Ywe Gou._ I nicknamed it Alien Claw. I want you to have it."

This was certainly an odd exchange, a hunter giving one of his most prized weapons to a newly self-discovered Angel. She stared at it for a moment, then reached for the handle hesitantly taking it from Sam and gently stowed it into her backpack.

Sam felt a bit better now that she had a piece of him to protect her. "You're going to a friend of ours named Garth Fitzgerald. He's definitely an acquired taste, but he's harmless. He's sweet to everyone, especially to pretty girls." Sam blushed and looked up at the ceiling, realizing what he just said.

She grinned. "Do you give all the pretty girls you like shiny blades?" she teased.

But Sam looked at her with very serious eyes. "Never. You're an exception."

She bit her lip at his words, and suddenly stopped breathing when she realized how close their faces were.

Sam seemed to come to the same conclusion. He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down quickly as his jaw tensed.

They stared at each other for a few moments. Cassandra's heart pounded hard, the moments feeling like an eternity.

He gently brought his hand up to cup the side of her face. _Oh God he's going to kiss me_ , she thought, her hopes soaring through the roof.

He placed his thumb over her bottom lip, their eyes locked and ever so delicately tilted her head down as he slowly leaned forward.

His grip wasn't firm, an indication that she could pull away or move if she wanted to…but she didn't.

Her heart pounded in her ears so loudly she was sure he could hear it. With shaking hands she reached to grasp the back of his hair, the soft feathery strands resting between her fingers. Her eyes closed and she breathed in the scent of him. It was a scent she couldn't quite place, but it had a mixture of soap, woodsy-ness and old spice.

The tips of their noses touches, and it sent a shudder through her -

"Time to go, Princess."

The voice made them both jump and snap back into their original sitting positions.

Dean was standing in the doorway, a bag slung over his shoulder. "I'm your escort."


	5. Chapter 5: Revelations

Chapter 5

Revelations

Sam paced back and forth in the bunker, pissed off. Dean took off with Cassandra, leaving him behind. His brother's words still rattled in his brain.

 _I don't know what's got you so stuck on this girl but you need to stay here. I'm not gonna have you whining for three days about turning back and keeping her. Stay here, keep the stupid to a minimum, and keep it in your pants._

Sam cringed. _Dammit Dean._ It wasn't just that he was attracted to her physically. Heck he wouldn't lay a hand on her if she didn't want him to, but it was more than that. For the past seven years she's been completely on her own. And she chose it so she could keep her family safe. How did that make her any different from him or Dean? She was just doing what she thought was right, and she sacrificed the quality of her life to do it.

Who knew how many nights she went hungry or cold? Sam never could've turned someone away who needed their help. Wasn't that their job? To _help_ people? It wouldn't be the first time they made an ally who wasn't human. Hell, she was Castiel's _sister._ That already made her their responsibility. Heaven was on lock down thanks to Metatron, and even if they could send her there, she grew up human. She'd be thrown into a world she had no idea about. And most angels were dicks. She didn't deserve that.

Sam cupped the face of Cassandra's watch in his pocket, finding solace in the fact she trusted him enough to give it to her. He pulled it out again for the twelfth time, stroking his thumb over the glass surface. The watch used roman numerals, and had a very classic look to it. Nothing fancy, but it was very delicate and had a shimmery pearl colored face. It suited her.

He couldn't help but smile, going over her words in his mind.

" _Why is this so important?"_

" _It was a gift."_

" _From who?"_

" _I don't know," she said. "The day after my fifteenth birthday I woke up and it was on my nightstand. I have no idea who gave it to me but I've had it for the past seven years and it's as much a part of me as my hands and feet are."_

" _C.H.T?"_

" _Cassandra Hope Trevelyan," she stated. "But that wasn't always my name. When I was born my parents had named me Sarah Rose."_

All of a sudden something clicked in Sam's head.

" _The day after my fifteenth birthday I woke up and it was on my nightstand."_

The day _after_?

Why the day _after_?

Why not the day _of_ her birthday?

He got a feeling about something. Sam immediately opened up his laptop and logged in.

 _Public Records of Vermont, Sarah Rose._

He needed to find out the name of her hometown, her birth date and the date that the paperwork for her legal name change had been filed.

The first thing that popped up was the address for Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, and there were plenty of Sarah Roses but none had the last name Trevelyan. Why couldn't he find her?

Oh, right. Because she'd had her name changed before she'd moved to Vermont. He was supposed to be looking for a _Cassandra Hope_ in Vermont, not a Sarah Rose.

 _You know, now that you mention it, I remember reading about a case in Dad's journal about a Concert Hall in Vermont that mysteriously shattered._

Hold on. She was _adopted_ by a family in Vermont, but she wasn't _from_ Vermont. _Dammit._

He'd have to find her adoption records if he wanted to start anywhere. _Cassandra Hope Trevelyan adoption._

But wait. After she was adopted her legal last name probably would've changed, even if she still goes by her old last name now.

 _God dammit this is impossible_ , he thought, sitting back in his chair with his hands over his temple. _Come on Sam, you can do this_. _Think_. _Look for Vermont adoptions in the past six years._

He did a bit more typing and digging, and found a Cassandra Hope O'Hare who was adopted in Addison County.

He got up in a flurry and dug for John's old journal. He looked through the familiar worn pages until he found it.

 _Glass Concert Hall Shatters_

 _78 casualties and 36 injured in Middlebury, Vermont._

 _Case: Unsolved_

He typed Middlebury, Vermont into google maps to see which county it would take him.

 _Addison._

"Yes!" He couldn't help exclaiming allowed. _I found you._

Sam was getting close. He could feel it.

 _Okay, now reel it back. Find documentation on when she changed her name._

A few hours of digging later, he found the results of her Hearing to have her name changed. After the petition was notarized by the clerk of York County, the paperwork was officially filed and processed on September 18, 2008.

Six years ago.

 _On my fifteenth birthday I got my name legally changed to Cassandra Hope Trevelyan, and now I have the same initials as my father, Christopher Howard Trevelyan._

But when was her birthday?

Sam maneuvered past about eight fire walls and finally, found a copy of her birth certificate.

STATE OF MAINE

MAINE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

NAME: Sarah Rose Trevelyan State File Number: 42-31576

Date of Birth: 09-17-92 Sex: Female

Birth County: York

Mother's Maiden Name: Rosaline Marie Magdalene

Father's Name: Christopher Howard Trevelyan

 _She's a lot younger than me,_ Sam thought, blushing a bit. Then again, if he was factoring in her _actual_ age as opposed to her _current_ age…but that was just going to give him a headache.

If the paperwork to legally change her name hadn't been processed until the following day of the Court hearing, then her name wasn't legally changed until the day _after_ she filed the petition.

If that was the case, then what if the watch wasn't a _birthday_ present? What if was more of a rite of passage-type-thing? Like a celebratory gift that she had changed her name to what it actually was?

A gift to celebrate her new identity.

Sam pulled out the watch again, turning it over to see the familiar initials, C. H. T. _That's why this was so important to her. It was the first thing she was given after she changed her name officially._

Upon closer inspection, he noticed a finely etched design that circled around the edges of the watch, holding her initials. But it was too small to notice right off the bat, and definitely not legible enough to see with the naked eye.

Sam ran to the main study, searching the drawers for anything that could pass for a magnifying glass.

 _Seriously? We have a freakin' DUNGEON but we don't have a damn magnifying glass?_

In one of the drawers was an old light bulb.

 _Perfect._ Sam broke it against the edge of the desk and gingerly grabbed one of the bigger pieces that curved and took it to the kitchen. He took a pinch of salt and swished it around the glass with some water to get out the white cloudiness of the glass, then rinsed it. After it was clean, he refilled the curved part of the shard with water, and held it above the watch.

He knew it. He freakin' knew it.

The design that circled the back of the watch was writing.

He set the lightbulb fragment down, still holding the watch in his hand, and sat down to dial Castiel's number.

 _"Sam, right now I'm not-"_

"-Cas I need you to read something. It's on the back of Cassandra's watch."

 _"What is it?"_

Sam grinned with triumph. "It looks like Enochian."


	6. Chapter 6: Questions

Chapter 6

Questions

Dean and Cassandra drove for the first few hours in silence, but he still hadn't eaten so they took an exit to stop for food. He pulled up in front of a little diner on the side of the main road and parked.

She sat with her shoulders pushed back, tense.

Dean noticed, and looked her up and down. "What's the matter, you have an aversion to pancakes and bacon?"

She flushed. "I can't remember the last time I've been inside a diner. I don't usually have that kind of dough on me."

Dean's eye brows knit together. "You have the money in your bag."

Cassandra frowned. "Right. You know that because you rummaged through it and stole my stuff."

Dean straightened up. _She's right, it was a dick move_. "That wasn't personal. Sam and I didn't know what you were. I looked for clues to see what kind of…"

"Monster I was?" she snapped, glaring at him point blank.

"Yeah," he said just as bluntly. "You passed inspection. And I only took the watch as motivation for you to talk to us. That was a mistake on my part. I'm sorry." He glanced down at her wrist but raised an eye brow. "Wait, what happened to it?"

She crossed her arms and smirked. "I gave it to Sam."

Dean blinked, unbelieving. "Why?!"

She grinned. "Because he _asked_ me for it as opposed to _taking_ it," she countered.

 _Ugh, this woman is going to kill me_. "I said I was sorry and I told you it wasn't anything _personal_!"

"Well fine. And for the record the money in my bag is only for emergencies."

"Like what? What's more important than food?!" Dean asked, unrealizing that he just profiled his entire being in one sentence.

She blushed scarlet. "Well, if it _came down to it_ , food I can steal or get from others. But there's some things that I can't."

"Like what?"

By this point her face was beet red, and the tip of her nose was three inches away from Dean's. "You're really going to make me spell it out?!"

Dean being Dean, it didn't click. "Nudy Mags?"

She blinked rapidly, as if his response was a word she'd never heard before and was trying to wrap her head around. "Well, Dean, once a month every woman-"

"- STOP OKAY I GET IT!" He sat back in his seat and took a deep breath. "I'm going to go inside. I'm gonna find a place to sit. After ten minutes of sitting in here, you're welcome to come inside. And this conversation," he enunciated each word with a wave of his finger, " _never_ happened."

"Sure," she said, her lips pursed in anger. "Whatever you say," her voice dripping with sarcasm.

He looked back over at her. "Unless of course you wanna stay _here_ , because I'm perfectly fine with enjoying a cheeseburger in peace without any tantrums or attitude. So, are you ready to stop acting like an adolescent?"

"I was just about to ask _you_ that," she countered, crossing her legs. But mentally scolded herself, because she _was_ acting like an adolescent. She couldn't help it. This annoying prick was bringing out the worst in her! Who the hell did he think he was, going through her shit in the first place?

 _Then again in his defense, his intention **was** to protect his family, and I guess I'd react similarly if I had a house and some random stranger not only broke into it, but stayed the night and made themselves at home. _ Come to think of it, it had been really lucky that they hadn't called the cops on her, or worse…

Sam and Dean were hunters. The blade Sam had given her that was in her bag was a reminder of that. So their job was to track down and kill monsters. _If they thought I was a monster…would they have killed me?_

"I can't deal with this. I'm hungry, I'm tired, I was supposed to crack open a few beers and relax for the first time in two weeks after another Case solved, and here I am having to babysit freakin' Carrie Bradshaw and drive halfway across the country again to-"

But he didn't finish because in spite of the intensity of the situation, she…giggled.

And one giggle turned into a snort and suddenly she was laughing into her hands and shaking with it. "Of all people," she was gasping in-between laughs, "to compare me to…you pick…" and she couldn't finish.

Dean didn't let her mockery take him down. "I dunno, I feel like it's a fair comparison. You're both whiny, witty to the point it's annoying-"

"-I don't know what's funnier," she calmed down a bit, "The fact that you've watched _Sex and the City_ , or that the analogy you used couldn'tve been more ironic." Her laughing was shrinking back into giggles.

"And why is that?" He said, his tone uncaring and feigning interest.

But then she stopped laughing and blushed red again. "Let's go." She took off her seat belt and opened the car door.

But by this point she had actually piqued Dean's interest. He stepped out and adjusted his jacket. "Wait, why is it ironic?"

She didn't make eye contact and talked past him, heading briskly for the entrance to the diner.

"Hey! I'm talking to-" but then it suddenly fell into place in his head.

 _She's never had sex._

A wide grin spread on Dean's face. "Oh, this is gonna be _fun_."

He swaggered in after her, taking his time picking a booth and sitting down. She sat across from him, fidgeting with a napkin.

A perky blonde waitress came to take their order. "Hello, I'm Carrie and I'll be your server this afternoon. What would you like to drink?"

At the sound of her name Dean had to try with every ounce of his willpower not to laugh, but he couldn't stop a face splitting grin from emerging. "A Budweiser for me."

"I'll have a water," Cassandra said. Dean had invited her in, but she was going to operate on the assumption that he wasn't paying for her.

"Be right back sugar," she said, looking at Cassandra and then walked off.

The second she was out of earshot Dean leaned in and whispered, "Her name is _Carrie_."

"God what are you, _twelve_?" she hissed, sitting up straight and looking anywhere but at Dean. "Haven't you already had one beer?"

"Sweetheart, it takes a _lot_ to get me drunk, don't you worry," he winked at her. "I figured it out by the way."

"Good for you, after you finish eating I'll go into my sticker book and find a gold star for you," she retorted, glaring at him.

"Hey, you should be nicer to me. I'm buying you lunch."

"No you're _not._ I already ate and I don't need any favors."

"Really, is that why you made camp in my house?"

She scoffed. "House? It's more than a house it's a _facility_. I mean I didn't even go through the whole thing I was delirious when I came in from the storm but I was conscious enough to know it had its own _library_."

"Yeah. Sam was in heaven when we got there. The damn bookworm. You better look at the menu so you know what you want before she gets here."

She briefly made eye contact with the picture of a stack of strawberry pancakes but then looked back at him. "I told you, I'm-"

Dean suddenly turned serious. "-I know what it's like to be hungry. The kind of hungry that no matter how much you eat just doesn't go away. And I know what it's like to not know when or where you're getting your next meal from, so just order something and get over it, okay? I feel bad enough as it is that I'm sending you off, the least I can do is feed you."

Cassie sat back, touched by his words. But at the same time, she had really been starting to grow a connection to Sam…she was just a moment away from her first kiss and Dean shattered it. Not to mention…

 _She can't stay here._

" _She's dangerous! She has powers that she obviously can't control!"_

 _Whether she means to be or not, she's a freakin' mine field and I'm not walking across that crap. She should be in prison or dead by now._

She crossed her arms in a defensive gesture. "That's very nice of you to say, but _last time I checked, I'm a grown woman who can take care of myself. I've done a pretty good job so far._ Remember?"

Dean flinched, recognizing his words, but looked her dead on. "I take it back."

"I wish it worked like that," she countered. She looked down as the waitress came back with their drinks.

"A Budweiser for you…" she set it down, "and a water. Have we decided what we're having?"

Dean looked at Cassandra, and without looking back at the waitress said, "A stack of the strawberry pancakes please, with whipped cream."

Cassandra blushed. _Fuck_. She suddenly felt the deep urge to cry, but she shoved it down.

"No problem. And what about you, Miss?"

 _Dammit_. Dean crossed his arms, looking at her with a soft expression. She looked from him to the waitress and back again, and a light bulb suddenly went off.

 _I'm perfectly fine with enjoying a cheeseburger in peace without any tantrums or attitude._

"A cheeseburger please. With…fries…?" She looked to Dean for guidance.

He made a barely perceptible nod, but she got it.

"Be right back with all that for ya," she said and walked off again.

Dean smiled. "You paid attention," he said, sitting back in his booth. "You should swallow your pride every once in a while. Especially if it means free pancakes."

She couldn't help but smile. "How the hell did you-"

"-I'm a hunter. I was trained to notice the little things when I'm tracking something, so I wouldn't be worth my salt, no pun intended, if I couldn't spot a girl eyeing a plate of pancakes."

She raised her eyebrow. "How is that a pun?"

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Never mind. It's a long story I don't feel like telling right now." Dean snapped the cap off his beer and drank a few swigs.

Cassandra took a sip of her water. "So um…I know you want me out of your hair as soon as possible, and for good reason…but can we talk without arguing?" The sarcasm and snark was out of her tone.

Dean could tell she was being genuine because she avoided eye contact with him while she said it. "What do you mean."

"Um… we can start with something like twenty questions. You can ask me first."

Dean scrunched his brows in thought, contemplating. "Okay. If I don't want to talk about something I can say "pass." But the same does not go for you."

She scoffed. "Why not?"

Dean stared off as if he was somewhere else. "Because some things are really painful," he admitted, taking another drink of his beer. "But stuff that might be personal or embarrassing doesn't count. Those you have to say."

This was probably going to end badly, but if it meant a shot at some information, it was worth it. "Fine. Shoot."

After another swig, he asked what he'd been curious about. "What's it like knowing you're an Angel?" He tilted the bottle back.

Cassandra held her glass of water, fiddling with the straw. "I'm happy because I found out I'm not alone anymore. I have a brother. And it explains a lot. It's…weird but makes sense at the same time. I'm mostly scared because it makes me wonder what I'm capable of. I've already done enough." She took a long sip from her water and didn't make eye contact.

Dean nodded. It was an honest answer. "Okay. Your turn." He braced himself.

She bit her lip. "What made you and Sam wanna become hunters?"

So far something easy. "Well, I could give you the textbook answer. To help people, and it's something that runs in the family. But…when I was four my mom was killed by a demon. After that, my dad taught himself to be a hunter and then he raised _us_ to be hunters so we could find the demon that killed her and destroy it. Now we keep at it because the world still gets messy and still needs someone to pick up the mop."

Cassie smirked. "You mean, it's a dirty job, and somebody's gotta do it?" She said.

Dean smiled. "Yeah, exactly. Okay Princess-"

"-Call me that again and I'll throw my water at you." She didn't say it with harshness, but Dean knew she was serious. "It's Cassie."

"Fine. _Cassie_ , my turn." Another swig. _I'm gonna have to order another one_. "Cas said that you two were created and trained together in Heaven, and you fought together side by side for literally thousands of years. And after all of that…you don't remember _anything_?"

Her eyes widened "No. I didn't know any of that. I just…have my memories from the life I've lived. You know, 1992 to 2014. I hope he's doing okay."

Dean swallowed, worried about him too. "He's probably fine, he's just been busy…something happened recently with the Angels. Something big. Something bad."

"What?"

Dean sighed. "There's this douche bag Angel Metatron. He has some kind of complex where he wants to be God, so he cast a spell that banished all the Angels out of Heaven. Now they walk the earth with us, and it's been causing big problems. So Cas has been trying to track down Metatron so he can find a way to reverse the spell."

Cassandra stared at Dean open-mouthed. "That's…heavy."

"Yeah, tell me about it." He took another swig. "I need another one."

"Are you sure?" she scolded.

"Is that another question? Because last time I checked, it was my turn." He was not about to be lectured by some young twenty-something who's probably never even been drunk. Which begged the question…"Have you ever been drunk?"

She looked taken aback, staring at him in shock. "No, never."

Dean chuckled. "That explains a bit," he said, winking. "So…you've never been drunk, you've never had s-"

"-It's my turn now," she cut him off, instantly going red. "Have you ever been married?"

Dean shook his head. "No. Have you ever dated anyone?"

"No, and I would really appreciate it if you would steer the conversation out of the territory that it's currently in."

"Oh come on, you were about to tongue-bang my brother, I think I have the right to know," he countered.

Her face literally matched her shirt now, and he had to admit it was fun torturing her. "It's your turn, you know," he said, and this time he couldn't not laugh.

"God, you're a jerk," she said, but she smiled as she said it and had to hold back a laugh. "How did you meet my brother?"

Dean froze. "You're not going to believe me."

She smirked. " _You'd be surprised,_ " she said, once again repeating his words.

He sighed. "Ugh, you're a real piece of work. Okay. He raised me up from Hell."

Cassie took another sip of her water, waiting for the punch line.

It didn't happen.

"Before you say anything, just take into account that there are angels and a Heaven, so it would only make sense that there's…" he trailed off, invitation or her to finish.

"A Hell."

"Mhm." He saw their waitress and waved, pointing at his beer. She nodded and scurried off again.

"You were actually… _in Hell_?"

He made a face as if to say, _that's another question_ , but he didn't say it. "That's a long story too. But yeah."

"For how long?"

Now they were tiptoeing around the no-no zone. "Four months in real time, but it felt like forty years."

"Jesus Christ," she said, putting a hand over her mouth in shock.

"Right?" he tried to seem lighthearted about it, but the truth was he wanted to stop talking about this. Now. "I get to ask two questions now."

She scowled, but waited.

"I heard you singing _Hey, Jude_ in the shower," he said.

She blushed scarlet. "T-that's not a question," she said, unsure of what else to say.

"You have a really nice voice," he said, as if to amend for making her feel self-conscious.

"That's not a question either."

He didn't smile. "What made you sing that song?"

She didn't understand why the question was so significant, but she answered anyway. "I just like it. When I sing in the shower I don't really realize I'm doing it," she admitted, running her fingers through her hair nervously.

He nodded. "My mom used to sing it to me. It kind of caught me off guard hearing it sung by someone else."

"I'm sorry," she said, though after saying it she didn't realize why she should've. If anything, he should be apologizing for spying on her when she was in the shower.

"It's fine. My first thought was maybe you were doing it on purpose to taunt me. But there's no way you could've known about it."

 _What the hell?_ He thought. _Why are spilling your whole life story?_ Maybe the beer _was_ getting to him.

At that moment the waitress came back and put the second beer on the table. He didn't ask her to take it back. "Your food should be out in a few minutes."

"Awesome," he said. "Thanks."

She smiled, winking at him and walking off. Cassie raised an eyebrow, noticing the wink and looked away.

Dean caught it, and noticed she got really shy whenever something concerning sex or anything of a sexual nature came up. "How old were you when you had your first kiss?"

 _Goddammit why did the conversation always get back to this?_ She didn't respond, looking down at the table.

Dean opened up the new beer and took a swig, but froze when he looked at her again. "Cassie?"

She didn't even look at him.

 _Oh shit._ "You… _have_ been kissed before, right?

Dead silence.

Dean's eyes widened. "Oh."

Her cheeks were once again scarlet. "My turn."

"You didn't answer," he said.

She looked up at him, obviously humiliated. "Is it really necessary at this point?"

"Whoa, hey calm down I just…I mean it doesn't make any sense."

"Why not?" she swallowed, crossing her arms and turning away.

"Well I mean…you're…" _I can't say hot_ … "I mean you're twenty two years old. Most people can say that their first kiss was in high school or something-"

Except she didn't finish high school. Because…

Right.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure you did." She glared at him.

"Well…yeah but I mean not _this_ kind of uncomfortable." That sounded better in his head.

 _Ugh god._

"I'm just gonna…I'm sorry I'm having a lot of trouble talking because of the foot I have in my mouth."

She smiled. She couldn't help it, it was funny.

 _So when I interrupted her and Sam, I stopped her first kiss from happening. Son of a bitch, now I_ **really** _feel like shit._

Carrie came back with their food. But she set the cheeseburger in front of Dean and the pancakes in front of Cassandra.

 _Huh?_ She raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Enjoy, guys. Let me know if you need anything," she said, winking again at Dean.

He grinned back as she walked away. "That's what the wink was about by the way. She knew I ordered for you."

"Oh." Cassandra blushed, using her fork to cut into the pancakes, and took a bite. The strawberries on top weren't the sickly sweet kind that had come out of a can, they were _real_ strawberries. And the pancakes were hot and buttery. The whipped cream was cold and melted on her tongue.

Dean dug into his cheeseburger, pouring ketchup for his fries and taking another swig of his beer. He was halfway through eating when he looked up at Cassandra but swallowed with alarm.

She was chewing really slowly, and she looked like she was thirty seconds away from crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked. _Please don't cry I don't do crying please don't freakin' cry._

She looked down at the pancakes and then looked back up at him. "They're really good."

"Okay," he said with caution, "that's good."

 _I can't remember the last time I've been inside a diner. I don't usually have that kind of dough on me._

Her eyes were watery as she swallowed and took another bite, this one bigger than the last. Tears fell but she was silent.

 _Son of a_ \- "I'll be right back." He had to get out of there. Dean walked outside and once he was out of sight, immediately dialed up Garth's number.

 _"Dean?"_

"Yeah, hey. Look if it's possible I'm gonna need you to meet me halfway."

 _"Why?"_

The image of Cassandra's blue eyes, shiny with tears made him physically flinch. "Because If I have to drive with this girl for another three days by myself I'm going to end up turning around."


	7. Chapter 7: Family

**Author's Note: Hey guys. I don't want to take up too much of your time (I always hate when I read my favorite fanfiction stories and there's a huge Author's note before the start of the chapter that could basically be a chapter itself) But I just wanted to take this moment to discuss the music that I reference and use in this. I obviously don't claim rights to any of the songs, like** _ **Hey, Jude**_ **by** _ **the Beatles, A Broken Wing**_ **by** _ **Martina McBride**_ **and so on. Music is a huge part of my creative process, as well as the creative process of Eric Kripke, the creator of Supernatural. I'm eventually going to put together a YouTube playlist of all the songs I mention (there's a few that are really worth listening to) and the songs that I listened to and really got inspiration from while writing this. In fact several songs I've listened to inspired the idea for scenes in this Fanfic. For example, I was looking up songs with really strong power notes, and I came across the** _ **McBride**_ **song completely by chance. I listened to it, and not only did it blow me away, (which is saying something because normally I hate country) it conveyed exactly what I want to convey with the character Cassandra, and instantaneously it sparked the idea for her backstory which you read about in the previous chapters. This chapter is basically paying homage to Music in general, and I hope you enjoy it.**

Chapter 7

Family

Just four more hours and Dean would be at the halfway point to meet up with Garth. He was starting to second guess his decision about Cassandra, and he needed to get her out of the picture fast before he change his mind.

She sat curled up in the passenger seat, holding her backpack in her lap. She'd been quiet for most of the ride and so had he. He didn't want to get any closer to her than he already got, so not talking was for the best.

But at the same time…was she really _that_ dangerous? The number 78 kept popping into his head, an unwanted reminder. But was it really possible that this virgin girl who'd never even been kissed, sang Beatles songs in the shower and cried over a stack of pancakes could be a _threat_ to them?

He kept stealing glances at her, and with each passing hour as the sky got darker she seemed to grow more and more abysmal. Dean had a thought. She was semi-familiar with him and Sam now, but here she is again, being handed off to another stranger (even if that stranger _was_ Garth) into new surroundings (again) and then what? To be handed off to someone else? And who? Who could possible provide the proper care for a half angel? Sam and Dean, the experts in their field of weird and freaky weren't even sure how to handle a situation like this. What the hell were they going to do with her?

He hadn't even told Garth the full story yet. He just said that she was a friend of theirs who needed a place to crash for a few days, but even _that_ wasn't a solution. The Garth plan had an expiration date.

He groaned internally with anxiety. To be honest Castiel should be figuring out what to do with her instead of being butt-sore about her cursing out God (which to be honest, Dean didn't totally disagree with) and running off to who knows where. He should be here taking care of her. Catching up with his sister, maybe trying to jog her memory. If she could remember who she is, maybe she'd have a grip on her powers, and they wouldn't have to worry about her losing self-control.

Then again…the last occurrence to happen like that was six years ago. She hadn't had another incident like that since, and it had been an accident. She had no clue about her heritage, and how could she? She'd been born into a normal family and any onlooker would just think she'd been an ordinary girl that got dealt a bad hand in life.

She had no one in the world…except…

 _Don't even go there,_ he thought.

He turned on the radio so the music would be a distraction from his thoughts.

The telltale sounds of the drumbeat to _Thunderstruck_ started playing.

All of a sudden Cassandra sprang to life "Ooh ooh keep it keep it! Don't change it!" she exclaimed, a huge grin spreading across her face.

Dean froze, his hand above the volume dial, staring at her.

She blushed, but didn't shy away. "I love this song," she said.

 _Really? She likes classic rock?_ No way…Maybe she just knows the one song.

"Sure thing," he said hesitantly, putting his hand back on the steering wheel.

She started singing the words and dancing, air-drum playing.

 _You've gotta be kidding me,_ he thought.

 ** _Sound of drums_**

 ** _Beatin' in my heart_**

 ** _The thunder of guns!_**

 ** _Tore me apart_**

 ** _You've been….(dun dun dun) THUNDERSTRUCK!_**

 ** _Rode down the highway_**

 ** _Broke the limit, we hit the ton_**

 ** _Went through to Texas, yeah TEXAS!_**

 ** _AND WE HAD SOME FUN!_**

 ** _WE MET SOME GIRLS-_**

Dean turned off the radio despite her protests and pulled over to the side of the road. He turned the car off and then faced her. "You like _ACDC_?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You pulled over because-"

"-answer the question."

She smiled. "Um…yeah. Why?"

"What else do you like?"

She blinked a few times at him, uncomprehending why this topic had such magnitude. "Well, _Led Zeppelin_ -"

"-NO you don't. No way in hell." That was pretty much his favorite band…ever.

" _Yeah_ , I do. Why is it such a big surprise?"

"Because people your age were raised on crap like Nirvana and Pearl Jam and the Backstreet Boys-"

"Okay first of all, it is not polite to speak ill of the dead. Second, Backstreet Boys? Ew. And third, my dad raised me on the good stuff, not the shit you normally hear on pop music stations. I grew up on his homemade cassettes and burned CDs."

 _Holy hell_. "Name five songs by Led Zeppelin."

She crossed her arms, glaring, immediately ready for the challenge. " _Stairway to Heaven, Kashmir_ -"

"No no, those are the ones everyone knows, I'm talking about-"

"- _Over the Hills and Far away, Dazed and Confused, Whole Lotta love, Traveling Riverside Blues, Ramble on_ and _Going to California_." She smirked.

No. This was not happening. She actually liked… _real music._

"Name your top ten 70's rock bands."

She scoffed. " _Metallica, the Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, KISS, the Beatles, Rush, Fleetwood Mac, Kansas, Aerosmith_ and _Def Leppard_."

"Def Leppard was an 80's band," he smirked. _Ha._

She crossed her arms and smirked. "They peaked in the 80's with their hits _Rock of Ages_ released in 1983 and _Pour some Sugar on Me_ , which was part of their 1987 album _Hysteria_ but their debut performance was in 1977 back when they were known as _Atomic Mass_."

 _Holy shit._ There was no way that Dean Winchester had just gotten schooled in classic rock by a 22 year old Virgin. This was _not_ happening.

And yet…he couldn't help but be impressed. A woman who knew her music. It was a huge turn on.

 _Or it **would** be, if she weren't Castiel's sister and she didn't have the hots for your brother_. Ugh.

Dean glared at her in defiance. With lightning speed he clicked in a cassette tape. "You have five seconds to hear the song. Name the song, name the band who performed it and the year it was released."

"Good luck not skipping over any of the songs. Cassette tapes can be hard to navigate," she mocked.

 _Oh, you cocky piece of work_. Dean was going to tear her a new one. He knew these tapes better than he knew his own name. He pressed play on the first one.

"Oh come on, that's too easy."

He paused it. "Then what is it?

She looked him dead in the eye without any hesitation. "Highway to Hell by ACDC, released July 27, 1979."

 _Son of a bitch._ "Fine." He fast-forwarded a bit, pressing play at just the right time.

"Eye of the Tiger, by Survivor, 1982."

He did it again.

"Here I go again. Whitesnake, 1982 also."

 _Seriously?_

"Sweet Home Alabama. Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1974."

She giggled, excited about the three notes played on the guitar for the next song. "Smoke on the water. Deep Purple. 1972."

She managed to get through five of the tapes (both sides) without hesitating for a moment. She knew every single song he played. And most of them he didn't even play for the full five seconds. And she _still_ got it. Heck, she knew some of the years and release dates that even _he_ didn't know.

"What are you, the freakin' walking encyclopedia of British rock bands?"

"Not all of them were British."

"Nah, just the super great ones."

"Not necessarily. Metallica is an American band."

Dean nodded, making the _True_ face. "True."

Okay so she was not only knowledgeable about good music, she _liked_ good music. And she _knew_ it. She didn't just know the songs and what albums they were part of, she knew the names of the band members, how they met and formed in the first place, where each band went on tour, who they were before they _were who they were_. She knew everything.

She sang along to the songs he played and he sang a bit too. The feeling he was getting was really odd. Like he'd just gotten the little sister he never knew he wanted. She challenged him, put him in his place, and when it came to music they got along like peas and carrots. She could keep up with his banter, and she was just about as stubborn and thick headed as he was.

It was going to be really hard to let her go.

 _Boulevard of Broken dreams_ started playing, and they both sang along quietly.

 _I walk a lonely road  
The only one that I have ever known  
Don't know where it goes  
But it's home to me and I walk alone_

 _I walk this empty street  
On the Boulevard of broken dreams  
Where the city sleeps  
And I'm the only one and I walk alone_

 _I walk alone  
I walk alone_

 _I walk alone  
I walk a..._

 _My shadow's only one that walks beside me  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
Till then I walk alooooone_

The lyrics from that song struck a chord in Dean (no pun intended) and he realized that he and Cassandra had a lot in common. Through thick and thin, somehow he always had Sam in one way or another, he had Castiel, and hell sometimes even Crowley. But this girl…literally has been on the road she's been walking _alone_.

Until now.

So what should he do?

He looked over again at her as she bobbed her head to the beat and tapped her fingers on her knee, continuing to sing along.

She's a sweet girl who deserved better than what she got. She appreciated the littlest things, like a shower, pancakes, and good music. Dean didn't want to admit it, but having her around made him feel…lighter. Like the burden of the world wasn't on his shoulders all the time. She made him forget about it all.

And at the same time reminded him what he was fighting for.

He found himself driving slower than he originally was, and dreading the moment he'd get to Garth. A few other songs played but Cassandra was starting to get tired, so eventually she curled up against the window and feel asleep. Dean played the music a bit softer so it wouldn't wake her up.

On the radio a Nazareth song suddenly came on.

 _She used to be someone you could depend on_

 _To brighten up your coldest winter day_

 _But the one she leaned upon_

 _Let her down, now has moved on_

 _And morning brings another empty day_

 _Now she's only a broken dooown angel-_

 _ **Huh? What the hell?**_ What were the odds that this particular song would come on? Was God trying to make him feel more like shit?

 _She's ooonly a biiird that's broke her wiiiing_

 _She's ooonly someone, someone who's gone wrooong_

 _She's ooonly a chiiiiild that's lost her waaaay_

"Son of a bitch," he snarled, and took a huge, probably very illegal U-Turn, and drove fast.

Fuck it. He wasn't going to abandon her. He couldn't. Not taking his emotions into account, it was just the right thing to do. Cassandra left home so she wouldn't have to worry about hurting her family. A lovely, young twenty two year old woman hadn't gotten the chance to date anyone, fall in love, or at the very least finish high school. She sacrificed all of that to keep the people she loved safe. She was no different than he was: he'd sacrificed happiness for the sake of his family, because that's what you do for family.

And she _was_ family.

And when he _did_ take his emotions into account…he just didn't want to let her go.

The sudden shifting of the car caused Cassandra to get startled and wake up. Her first instinct was to pull her sleeve down over her watch…except she wasn't wearing it.

Right. She wasn't sure how she was going to get it back, but she trusted Sam. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, looking at Dean to see he had a very determined look on his face and she heard _Nazareth_ playing.

"Um…are you okay?" she asked.

"Mhm."

No further explanation. She bit her lip in confusion. "Okay."

"We're gonna stop for the night. I'm sick of driving and you'd probably prefer sleeping on a bed than in the passenger seat." He took an exit and drove around until he found a motel.

They parked in front of a place called the Cozy Inn.

"Wait here, I'll fill out all the paper work crap and get the room keys, you just sit tight, okay? And uh here," out of the glove box he handed her a…

 _Holy shit._ "This is a-"

"—gun, yeah. It's not loaded. Waving it around at someone should be enough to make 'em back off."

She raised an eyebrow. "How long do you expect to be in there? We're not exactly on the bad side of town or anything-"

"-Just indulge my paranoia please and keep it on you. It shouldn't be longer than fifteen minutes."

She sighed, laying it on top of her backpack in her lap. "Okay."

"Awesome. Be right back." He climbed out of the car and shut the door. "Lock yourself in."

She giggled. "Sure thing," she copied him.

He rolled his eyes and walked off.

 _Fifteen minutes, huh?_ Once he was out of sight, she opened the glove box up again to look inside.

There were license and registration papers under the name of John Winchester, three different cell phones, and a bunch of badges…wait…

 _FBI?_ There were tons of them. Badges for homeland Security, police badges for several different states, private investigators, Detective badges, anything you could think of. There were tons for Sam _and_ Dean, but they all had fake names. And a lot of them were the names of famous musicians. She couldn't help but laugh. There were even ones with names from Star Wars. _Ford and Hamill? Seriously? This was too cool._

She shoved them all back in and decided to look under the car seats. _Oh shit._ She jumped.

You'd think that since this was a guy's car it would be messy but it was obvious that Dean took very good care of it. The carpet was clean and stain-free, but there was a ton of paraphernalia stuffed under the seats.

And a lot of it looked scary as hell.

There were a few different knives in all shapes and sizes, zip locks full of spare bullets and shot gun shells… _this thing is an arsenal on wheels_. Not to mention there were bags of some kind of white powder…

No way, it couldn't be…

It wasn't. On closer inspection it looked like… _salt?_

 _Team Helsing is weird_ , she thought. She turned her head to look in the back seat.

There was a cooler, an army green field jacket…and that was about it.

Suddenly there was a knock on the glass of her window. It startled her and she fumbled with the gun, pointing it at the window.

But it was just Dean, and upon seeing the gun he held his hands up, but then laughed. He pointed to the lock on the door.

She unlocked it and stepped out.

"What do you plan on shooting holding it like that?"

She looked down and realized she was holding it towards herself but the handle was upside down, pointed at Dean.

She blushed and handed it back to him.

"And _that's_ why it's not loaded," he took it and stowed it back in the glove box. He handed her a card. "Let's go. Bed time."

She scoffed, feeling like a little kid, but followed him, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

She'd have to find a way to sew the strap up again, it was falling apart at the seams from too much wear and tear.

Cassandra followed him to a door outside around the back, and he slipped the card in, pushing the door open.

Dean flipped the light on and moved so she could come through.

There were two queen sized beds, a mini fridge, microwave and a stack of towels on a side table for showers.

"Not exactly Shangri-La, but it'll do for the night, right?" He shrugged his coat off and sat on one of the beds, beginning to unlace his boots. Because he was bent low, he could see Cassandra's boots.

They were scuffed and faded. There was enough color in them that he could tell they were black at some point, but the girl was due for a new pair.

Come to think of it, she was probably due for new clothes in general.

Which gave Dean an idea. Before he could voice it however, he glanced over to see Cassie unzip the outside pocket of her bag and pull out the bundle of dollar bills.

She walked over to him and held it out. "Here. It's only twenty, but it's payment back for the diner and for the room."

 _Oh god, this woman is making it her mission to emasculate me_. "No. That's for emergencies. Keep it."

"I don't like owing people."

"Neither do I. But a place to crash and food to eat are a given, sweetheart. You don't have to pay me back for necessities. Keep your money." He understood where she was coming from, but it made him feel better about this whole mess getting the chance to help someone. He'd want someone to do it for him.

She frowned, but put it back in her bag.

He straightened back up and nodded to her, an indication to listen. "I'll sleep for about four hours. After that I'm going to run out for a bit to pick up a few things. I won't be gone long, maybe an hour tops. I'm going to leave a phone here for you. You can use it to call me if you need anything, my number is programmed in, and I'll leave a credit card for you so you can get takeout if you're hungry. You can use the phone to look up food places around here, it connects to the motel's Wi-Fi. I'll probably get back before you wake up, so don't worry too much, okay?"

She nodded, starting to yawn. Speaking of sleep…

"Go on and get some shut eye. And uh…I'll cover my eyes." He laid down on his bed and put a pillow over his face.

 _Oh, right._ She blushed. She sleeps in her underwear. She really should invest in some pajama pants.

She quickly took off her bra through her shirt, stripped down to just her tank top and underwear and quickly burrowed under the covers of her bed. "All clear," she said.

Dean took the pillow off his face and pulled a container out of his pocket, pouring a white grainy mixture of something along the window sill and door.

"What's that?" she asked, starting to get drowsy again.

"Salt," he said without hesitation, but then realized how weird it must look to her.

"Team Helsing thing?" she asked.

Dean smiled. "Yeah. Don't worry about it, just hunter paranoia. You're fine, get some sleep."

She closed her eyes and fell asleep to the sound of Dean shuffling around the room and moving things.

Dean felt his phone vibrate and go off in his pocket. He looked at the caller I.D. _Garth Fitzgerald_. He picked up. "Hey, how's it going?"

" _Oh, same old. But uh...listen, Dean. I'm sorry but a Case came up in northern Mississippi. Probably some hoodoo gone wrong or somethin'. I can't meet ya halfway."_

 _Huh. Maybe it was meant to be after all._ "Don't worry about it. Plans've changed anyway."

" _Oh, really? You find a place for Miss Lady?"_

Dean looked over at Cassandra, curled up and fast asleep, the way she was when they first met. She looked even younger than she was, clutching at the edge of the blanket, her nose tucked under the covers.

He couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. We did."


	8. Chapter 8: Return

**Author's Note: It's funny because the driving scene was supposed to happen after the end of chapter 4 xD but then I realized it wouldn't make any sense if they started listening to music in the car for two hours and Dean realized she was awesome and after only two hours of driving he'd change his mind and turn around. There had to be a moment where he doubted his decision and emotionally connected to her, so that's where the Diner scene sprang from. But it's all part of the creative process. As Metatron said, "My job is to set up interesting characters and see where they lead me. The bi-product of having well drawn characters is they may surprise you."**

Chapter 8

Return

Dean got back from his grocery run to see that Cassandra hadn't moved an itch. _Jeez, she must still be tired from before,_ He thought.

He unloaded everything, which included a six pack of Samuel Adams, a pair of boots, a teal women's Carhartt, two coffees, and a bunch of breakfast sandwiches and hash browns from a local deli.

Dean noticed that when she packed up her stuff and walked out of the bunker, she didn't have any kind of coat. And her boots were shot to hell, so he roughly estimated what size she'd be in both and picked them up at the Goodwill down the road. Hopefully they fit.

 _When's the last time I bought anything for someone_? He just hoped that Sam wouldn't take it as a "staking his claim" type of thing. It was getting colder and he just didn't want her getting sick. Sam would have to take her shopping for clothes. Dean only knew about the exterior layer.

Nothing was warmer than a Carhartt.

He checked the screen of his phone, no texts or missed calls from anyone. Sam must have made himself busy. But what about Castiel? Dean was really starting to worry now.

That was an issue that he had recently put on hold. Apparently the way they interacted, everyone thought they were in love with each other. Balthazar's words suddenly popped into mind.

 _Sorry, you have me confused with the other angel. You know, the one in the dirty trench coat who's in love with you._

And Uriel.

 _Castiel? Oh, he's, he's not here. You see he has this weakness, he likes you._

And Meg.

 _Ask him, he was your boyfriend first!_

And Rachel.

 _When Castiel first laid a hand on you in hell, he was lost!_

And even some of the things that Castiel had said.

 _We share a more profound bond._

 _I gave up everything for you! And this is what you give me?!_

 _I've been trying to be one step ahead of them…to keep them away from you._

Maybe he was just reading too much into it. Ugh this was giving Dean a headache.

 _This is why I either need to be on a case, or drinking. I can't afford to think like this._ The whole situation was unfamiliar to Dean, because he'd never ever _ever_ been intimate or in any kind of romantic situation with a guy. Ever.

But the way he'd reacted to Castiel dying or being missing was the same way he'd acted towards women he'd cared about in the past being hurt…like Lisa.

 _No. Don't fucking go there._

He needed to be driving. He got up out of his chair and walked over to the side of Cassandra's bed that she was curled up in, and gently roused her awake. "Time to wake up, sweetheart."

The second Dean touched her back she immediately gasped herself awake and crossed her arms in an X over herself, backing up against the headboard.

"Whoa, whoa, hey it's just me." _Crap._ "I'm sorry I didn't mean to Freddy Krueger you," he said gently. "You okay?"

Her expression softened when she realized where she was. "Yeah. I'm not used to…I mean when someone wakes me up it's usually a bad thing."

 _Oh, shit._ That made Dean wonder. She crashed at the Bunker for five days straight. Was she used to just going for as long as she could and then finally crashing to recharge? Where has she had to sleep before? She didn't buy food let alone rent motel rooms, so did she have find some dark, quiet place with no people? And if someone found her, all by herself, unarmed…

It made Dean's stomach uneasy. "Well um…we're gonna head out soon. I got you a couple of things." He walked back over to the table and motioned for him to follow her.

The smell of food suddenly reached her nose and she wrapped the duvet around herself, taking a seat opposite Dean at the little two person table. She scrunched up her eyebrows at the sight of the six pack, shoe box and coat all together on the bed opposite hers.

"Eat," he said, putting the coffee in front of her, and the food. He started to eat his food.

She nibbled a little on the hash browns, but after swallowing asked in the smallest voice he'd heard from her, "Can I ask you something?"

Dean, being that his mouth was full just nodded and kept his ears open.

"You and Sam are hunters. If you had been given any reason to believe I was a monster…would you have killed me?"

Dean swallowed suddenly, startled by the question. "That's kind of a dark topic for so early in the morning, don't you think?"

She bit her lip with nervousness, getting the message. She took several gulps of her coffee and then a bite of the sandwich with sausage, egg and cheese on it.

 _Okay, note to self, she likes coffee._ "Honestly? If you'd asked me that ten years ago, the answer would've been yes. I would've staked you without thinking twice about it. But now…I see that things aren't always so black and white. I've been friends with a few people that a decade ago would've been classified as monsters."

She raised an eyebrow, and eventually smiled.

The smile immediately put Dean at ease. "By the way…the plan's changed."

She stopped chewing and looked up at him.

Dean took a deep breath. "It turns out Garth is a bit occupied at the moment, so you're gonna be sticking with me and Sam for a bit." But then Dean caught himself. "I mean, if there's somewhere else you'd like to go, I can take you there, I'm just saying…you're welcome to stay with us." He looked up from his food.

To see the biggest grin on her face. She looked about two seconds from leaping out of her seat—

Which is exactly what she did. She immediately squealed and skipped over to Dean to give him a huge hug.

Which was suffocating him.

"Um-okay," he said, getting a bit bashful. "With us it is then," he tried to downplay the situation and get her back to sitting position, being that she was now bra-less and in her underwear…again. _Sam would kill me if he could see us right now. I would kill me too._

But at the moment she didn't care. She kissed the top of Dean's hair and then sat back down, her cheeks rosy and her eyes sparkling. "What made you change your mind?"

The kiss made him blush uncontrollably and he cleared his throat. _Honestly? Your taste in music rocks…Ha. That was funny._ He smiled at his own joke, but then replied, "First of all, because I'm a dumbass. Second, you're Cas' sister. Cas is family, which makes you family. Also, I've been with you for the past 24 hours, and I happen to be still in one piece, so you've proven yourself to be not-dangerous for the time being."

She ran her hand once through her hair excitedly. "Okay," she wore a face-splitting grin and drank more of her coffee.

"So finish up your breakfast, we're gonna head home."

She liked the sound of that. _Home_.

After they finished up and packed everything, Dean saw that she was lacing up her old boots. "Nah uh. Try these on."

 _Oh. That's what the box is_. "You got me shoes?"

Dean shrugged. "They're nothing fancy, just a pair I found at Goodwill that looked about your size. You seem due for a new pair."

She frowned at him as if to _say I feel guilty when you keep getting me things like this._

"Do not say a word about paying me back or I'll make you drive us home."

She blushed, and didn't say a word _. I don't actually know how to drive. Not entirely anyway._ Without any protest, she picked up the box and opened it.

Inside were a pair of size seven Women's Mid-calf Comfort Lace up Combat books in black. There weren't any holes, scuffs, and even the laces weren't torn. They looked brand new.

She undid the laces and slipped the first foot in. The shape of it hugged her feet in a way that she wasn't used to, but she'd break them in. Her toe didn't touch the end, which was a good sign. After she laced them up, she found out that they fit like a glove. "They fit perfect," she reassured him. "I don't know how to thank you."

"I do. No complaining about the Driver's choice in Music. Shotgun shuts their cakehole when it comes to control over the stereo." He grinned.

 _No problem._ "I dunno, I might raise hell just for the fun of it," she smirked, and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"Hold it, put this on before you put on your bag." He threw her the coat.

It wasn't the most feminine-looking coat in the world, but it was definitely practical, and the color was _kind of_ girly.

"It's getting colder. And we live in the West. November 'round these parts ain't exactly tanning season."

She smiled, trying the coat on. It was felt material on the inside and it was really warm. She stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. "What do you think?"

Dean looked her up and down, from the toes of her new boots to the faded blue of her worn jeans, and to the collar of her red flannel shirt. _You look like…a hunter._ "You look good," he said.

"Sweet," she said, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Let's go."

* * *

Cassandra sat pretzel-style in the passenger seat, much more energetic and peppy-looking than had been earlier. She looked up at the open road with shining eyes and she couldn't stop smiling.

There was a comfortable silence between them that was only interrupted from the running of Baby's engine and the soft music flowing from the stereo. This time it was _Stairway to Heaven._

Dean was free to let his thoughts wonder. He wondered how Castiel was doing _. I hope that bastard hasn't gotten himself into any trouble since I've been gone._ His piercing blue eyes kept making themselves known in Dean's thoughts. Cassandra had those eyes, but for some reason it wasn't the quite the same. Cassandra was more expressive and had less control of her emotions, but that made her more endearing. Castiel on the other hand was calm and professional most of the time…except for when it came to Dean.

Why was that? They'd learned time and time again that Dean's weakness was his brother. He was willing to sacrifice the closing of Hell's Gates and even kill his friend Benny to save Sam. He was willing to sell his soul and end up in hell to save him. But when it came to Castiel, his weakness was apparently…Dean.

And for some reason that stirred a warm feeling inside Dean and made him feel...happy.

Dean jumped as his phone started vibrating. A call from Cas. Dean found that his heart went fast as his name flashed on the screen.

 _Speak of the Devil._ He picked up. "Hey."

" _Hello, Dean."_

Dean swallowed. "What's up?"

" _Sam found something. You should head back to the bunker."_

Cas had his full attention now, Dean leaning over the steering wheel with an intense expression. "What'd he find?"

" _Cassandra's watch has a trident symbol on the face of it. You wouldn't know it's there unless you knew to look for it. I have to get back on the search for Metatron, so I'll leave it to you two."_

 _A trident? Weird._ "Okay. Where are you?"

" _I just came from the bunker and now I'm in Northern Canada. It's difficult to be pissed off when you're literally freezing."_

 _Pissed off?_ "Who did what, Angel?" It was a joke to Castiel, but Dean meant it endearingly.

" _Your brother. For someone so smart he's so…stupid."_

Dean scrunched his face. _O…kay_. "Yeah, that's Sam in a nutshell. I'm on my way back now, I should be there in about an hour."

" _Good. Is Cassandra with you?"_

"Yeah, I was gonna have her stay at Garth's for a bit until we figured out what to do with her but…I think it'd be best if we handled it."

There was a pause. " _Thank you, Dean. I know I can trust her with you. I'd take her on myself, but I can't fix her and sort through this whole mess until I track down Metatron and get him to reverse the spell. She doesn't need to be involved, it would only upset her."_

"No, I agree. She's the safest at the bunker. We'll be there soon."

"Bye, Dean. Stay safe." _Click._

"Was that my brother?" she asked tentatively.

Dean put his second hand back on the steering wheel after he put the phone down. "Yeah, he said Sammy's found a trident shape on your watch. He's looking into it."

"Okay," Cassandra said, and it looked like she was trying to hold back a smile.

Dean glanced over at her. "What?"

She grinned. "Do you like Castiel?"

There was a long pause. "Whaduhyamean?"

Cassandra giggled. "I mean do you _like_ like my brother?"

 _Goddamn sonofabitch_. "Wha-Pfft. What the hell, what are you, twelve? _Like-like_. What does that even mean? I like _women_." _Son of a bitch goddammit._

"Well I'm just asking because the one time I saw the two of you interact in person it looked like you guys were somehow stripping each other down with your eyes and just now your voice got really deep when you were talking to him."

"Sometimes that happens, I can't control it." Dean countered. _Damn women who notice shit…fuck._

"Which, eye sex or your voice getting lower?" and she giggled.

"GAHH! I'm talking about my voice! I do not give your brother the bedroom eyes!"

"Well, when guys talk to someone they _like_ , the pitch of their voice changes to a lower octave without them even realizing it." She crossed her arms and smiled at him as if to say, _Soooo whadayathink about that, Sonny Boy?_

"How about we talk about how _you_ have the hots for _my_ brother?"

Cassandra blushed, but grinned. "You still haven't denied anything."

Dean paused a bit longer than should've been necessary. "I'm not into Cas."

"That felt forced."

"We're done talking."


	9. Chapter 9: Research

Chapter 9

Research

Cas was low on Angelic energy due to the fact he was running on borrowed grace, so he used a less efficient mode of transportation to get to the bunker. He didn't get back until about five in the morning. But he immediately stepped into the bunker and approached Sam, sitting at the table. "Show me the watch," he demanded.

Sam placed it in his hand. The moment it touched Castiel's skin he jumped, not saying a word.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, curious.

Cas looked up at Sam. "This watch is made of the same material that is used to craft Angel Blades," he said without any hesitation. "It feels exactly the same as the handle of my blade." He took it out just to be sure, and held them out in each hand, side by side.

Sure enough, they both glistened in the light of the florescent above them with the same sparkle.

"Incredible. This watch…it's a weapon," Castiel said in disbelief. "The craftsmanship of this device is…remarkable, to say the least." He stowed his blade back into the inside of his coat, and looked closely at the watch, holding it at eye length. "Where is the writing?"

"It's on the back, but it's too small-"

"-Wait a moment." Castiel held it up in the light, and turned the watch this way and that, trying to get the right angle.

Once he did, it revealed the very subtle stamp of a trident in the face of the watch behind the roman numerals.

"It's the calling card of the one who forges all of our angelic weapons," he said. Holding it out to Sam so he could look. "The same symbol is on the handle of my blade if you look underneath it."

"A pitchfork?"

"No, a trident."

Sam knit his eyebrows together in confusion. "Well, who makes all the Angel blades?"

"I don't know. They were commissioned by God…So I have no idea."

 _Of course._ Still, this was a good sign. Sam was starting to get an idea of who had given Cassandra the watch. "Could it be an angel?"

Castiel shook his head. "No. To put it bluntly, the Garrison is made up of mostly scribes and warriors, not smiths or crafters. But the Enochian on the back of the watch could be the signature of the one who made it."

Sam held the improvised magnifying glass over the watch while Castiel read the words. As Cas kept reading, his expression became more and more grave, and then he grew pale.

"What is it?"

Cas leaned back from looking at the watch and sat down in a chair, full of dejection. "It's instructions."

"For what?"

There was a long pause, and then Cas looked at Sam. "Remember how I said that a vessel can't hold a human soul and an Angel's Grace at the same time? One of the entities has control over the body and consciousness of the vessel."

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

Cas grew even more pale. "Well, apparently it's possible. Cassandra's grace isn't at full capacity, so the vessel can hold more than one entity at a time."

Sam froze. _No…wait…_ "But that would mean…"

"Yes. The soul of Sarah Rose is still inside Cassandra's body. It's just dormant. The Sarah Rose that would've been but wasn't because Cassandra took control. And Sarah Rose is aware of everything going on, even though she's not in control of her body."

"How is that even possible?"

"God doesn't have anything to do with this…This explains how Cassandra was able to grow up with the lifespan of a human. Her grace must have been planted into Sarah Rose's body as an infant, so consent from the vessel wasn't necessary."

"So if the body of Sarah Rose is holding Sarah's soul and Cassandra's grace…what are the instructions on the back of the watch for?"

Castiel's face pooled with anxiety. "It's directions on how to wake up Cassandra's grace. Once that happens, she'll get all of her old memories back, and all of her power. She'll regain the knowledge she lost on engaging in combat, healing, the ability to read the minds of others, she'll have access to Angel Radio…everything."

"Okay, great. So what's the catch?" There was always something, and by the looks of Castiel's face, it wasn't good.

"It's a spell. Once the spell is performed, it'll wake up Cassandra's power…but the soul inside her vessel will wake up too, and she's going to fight Cassandra for control of her body."

 _Shit, that doesn't sound good._

Castiel was quiet in what he said next. "If Sarah's soul wins, Cassandra's grace will be extinguished, and she'll disappear forever."

Well that's fine, because there was no way in hell that Sam was going to let that happen. "What are the ingredients for the spell?"

Castiel's face suddenly filled with alarm. "Didn't you hear a word I just said?! If we activate-"

"-I heard you loud and clear. But the thing is… we're not losing her. It's just not happening. What are the ingredients?"

"Sam, half of these are impossible to get-"

"-I don't care, I'll summon Crowley and ask him-"

"-CROWLEY? You're willing to stoop to those lengths to-"

"-Yes, because if Cassandra can get her powers back, and control them then that means-" he didn't finish.

 _She could stay here. She wouldn't be a danger to them, and she could stay here._

Sam knew there was a connection between them. The first romantic spark he'd had in a very long time, and getting to eat breakfast with her, maybe even have her come on hunts with them…teaching her how to use Alien Claw properly…maybe waking up next to her in the mornings...what ever came of the feelings he was having, he was willing to do anything if it meant he could have her here with him, where he could keep her safe.

Cas stood up, his fists balled up with fury. "I'm not putting my sister's life at risk for a second time! I don't care that she's not at her full power or that she doesn't remember me. I'll take her no matter what form she's in because she's my sister and I love her. And I am _not,_ under _any_ circumstance, taking the risk of _losing_ her again!"

Sam feel silent. Usually when he got this emotional it was in concern, about, or when talking to, Dean. _Yeah_ that's _something that needs to happen,_ _I'm tired of having to watch their eye sex all the time._ "Dean felt the same way about me when I had the wall up inside of my head to keep everything I'd experienced in hell behind closed doors. He was willing to take me in any form I was in, and that ended up backfiring. Stuff like this…always backfires."

"No. Spells, relying on help from demons, battles for control… _those_ always backfire on us. None of this is necessary. Once I find Metatron and get him to reverse the spell and return my grace, I can fix her and everything else. Cassandra should be with her own kind, and with me. I can retrain her, upgrade her back to warrior status, and I don't need some list of ingredients and chants to do it."

With that, Cas disappeared, leaving nothing but the echoes of his fluttering wings behind.

"Dammit!" Sam exclaimed, slamming his hand down on the table.

Fucking Castiel. If Dean needs something, he just rolls over and begs for a treat afterwards, but god forbid _Sam_ wanted the littlest thing from him like information, nothing but resistance. He even said he'd get the ingredients myself, Sam never asked him to get them, he just needed to know what they were.

 _Okay, calm down. In the meantime, what can you do? Be productive._

The Trident symbol. He held up Cassandra's watch again, seeing the finely drawn silver glint of the shape. It looked like it was scraped into the watch's face with the tip of a sewing needle, the details were so fine and intricate.

If he could find out who created the watch for Cassandra, maybe it could lead them to how her grace had been put into a human and why.

He opened up his laptop and typed _trident_ into the search bar.

The first link that popped up was _The Weapon of Poseidon_.

He clicked it.

 _The trident is the weapon of_ _Poseidon_ _, or_ _Neptune_ _, the god of the sea in_ _classical mythology_ _. In Greek mythology, Poseidon used_ _his trident_ _to create water sources in_ _Greece_ _and the_ _horse_ _. Poseidon, as well as being god of the sea, was also known as the "Earth Shaker" because when he struck the earth in anger he caused mighty_ _earthquakes_ _and he used his trident to stir up tidal waves,_ _tsunamis_ _and sea storms. Parallel to its fishing origins, the trident is associated with_ _Poseidon_ _, the_ _god_ _of the sea in_ _Greek mythology_ _, the Roman god_ _Neptune_ _._

 _Poseidon? What did a God from Greek mythology have to do with Angel weapons?_ He researched Angels who were weapon Forgers, but none came up. All of them talked about how swords thought to possess magical powers have been found in mythology all over the world, everywhere from the legend of Excalibur to Mexico and even Japan, but nothing about the person who forged these weapons.

Sam typed in _Weapon forgers in Mythology._

Immediately Hephaestus popped up.

 _Hephaestus_ _is the_ _Greek god_ _of_ _blacksmiths_ _,_ _craftsmen_ _,_ _artisans_ _,_ _sculptors, metals,_ _metallurgy_ _,_ _fire_ _and_ _volcanoes_ _. Hephaestus'_ _Roman_ _equivalent is_ _Vulcan_ _. In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was the son of_ _Zeus_ _and_ _Hera_ _, the king and queen of the gods. As a smithing god, Hephaestus made all the weapons of the gods in Olympus. He served as the blacksmith of the gods, and was worshiped in the manufacturing and industrial centers of Greece, particularly_ _Athens_ _. Hephaestus' symbols are a smith's_ _hammer_ _,_ _anvil_ _, and a pair of_ _tongs_ _._ _Hephaestus had his own palace on Olympus, containing his workshop with anvil and twenty bellows that worked at his bidding. Hephaestus crafted much of the magnificent equipment of the gods, and almost any finely-wrought metalwork imbued with powers that appears in Greek myth is said to have been forged by Hephaestus. He designed_ _Hermes_ _' winged helmet and s_ _andals_ _, the_ _Aegis_ _breastplate_ _,_ _Aphrodite_ _'s famed_ _girdle_ _,_ _Agamemnon_ _'s staff of office,_ _Achilles_ _' armor,_ _Heracles_ _' bronze_ _clappers_ _,_ _Helios_ _' chariot, the shoulder of_ _Pelops_ _, and_ _Eros_ _' bow and arrows._

The sound of the big metal door screeching open made Sam lose his train of thought. "Welcome back," he shouted out to Dean.

"Hey, Sam."

Sam's heart practically convulsed inside his chest and he jumped out of his seat, turning around to look at the doorway.

There hanging over the railing of the balcony, stood Cassandra in a green-blue Carhartt coat, faded jeans and rosy cheeks with a huge smile on her face.

His face broke out into a wide smile. "Cassie."

She ran down the stairs and charged into Sam, giving his torso a huge hug. "Miss me?" she said softly into his chest.

Sam wrapped his arms around her, bewildered. _You're here. And you're safe._ His heart was beating a million miles a minute. Sam held her close to him in a protective embrace, ecstatic that she ran into his arms so readily. Just her being there completely flip-flopped his mood for the better. His eyes were wide as he looked behind her at Dean.

Dean just shrugged, a smile on his face too. "Word on the street is you pissed off Cas."

"Shut up," he said, unable to stop smiling. "What made you-"

"-She knows Led Zeppelin better than I do. She earned a lot of respect. And that is the _only_ time I'm saying that." Without another word he cracked open a beer and sat down at the table. "So tell us about the watch."

Sam paused. "Right. Okay so, there's Enochian carved into the back of it."

 _Whoa, what?_ "Cas failed to mention that."

"Wait, what do you mean? You guys talked?"

"Yeah, he called me about an hour ago to vent about how you're the dumbest smart person ever and how there's a Trident shape in the watch. He never mentioned Enochian though." _What the hell Cas? You don't keep secrets from me...so why did you this time?_

"What's Enochian?" Cassandra asked, looking up at Sam.

Her beautiful blue eyes had Sam's eyes locked in place and for a minute all he could do was stare. They were just so... _round_ and open.

"Um…Sammy?"

He blushed and cleared his throat, breaking his gaze away. "Enochian is the language of the Angels. It's a bunch of symbols and gibberish to us, but it's their language."

 _Wait, what? It's been on my watch the entire time and I had no idea?_ "Oh my God…let me see."

She took a seat at the table next to Sam and he held the watch back out to her. She took it, relieved to feel its weight in her hand again. He leaned over her as he put the light bulb shard filled with water over the watch for her to look through. "Here, hold this over the back of the watch and…see?"

She squinted, and then gasped. "Holy crap I see it! It does look like gibberish."

"It's not..." Color rose to his cheeks as he realized how close he was to her. He was a centimeter away from brushing against the tips of her fingers.

"What's it say?" Dean asked.

Sam looked back up, startled again form the spell she put him under. "That's the thing. Cas never told me."

"Why?"

Sam glanced at Cassandra's face, and saw how trusting and open her expression was. He'd only ever seen her look at _him_ with that expression.

She looked so innocent and…human. What if she wasn't strong enough to fight against the soul of Sarah Rose? The way she was now, in front of him, her eyes filled with intrigue and admiration…he couldn't lose that.

And this spell put her in jeopardy.

The literal light inside her that made her… _Cassandra_ could be snuffed out forever.

Maybe wait until she gets stronger. But can she get stronger is she doesn't have full access to her powers? But she might never get that chance…and it would be a lot for her to take in right now...it would probably just upset her.

"I uh, have no idea. That's what Cas and I got into an argument about. He wouldn't tell me anything. It must've been bad for him to run off and get so mad."

Dean was listening, but from the expression on his face, it was obvious he wasn't buying it.

 _Right. Because you believe the word of your feather-winged boyfriend over your own brother. Jerk._

"I guess that means we're in Funky Town." Dean glared at Sam, his arms crossed.

 _Dammit. He knows I'm lying_. "Yeah. So, not that I'm not happy she's here…but what's the plan?"

Dean looked over at Cassandra, then back at Sam. "Garth's workin' a case down South so he couldn't take her on. And through my 24 hour assessment of her, I found her to be harmless. We're not here half the time anyway, so I've decided that the Bunker is the safest place for her to be. Cas is off doing his scavenger hunt for Megadick so she's fallen to us. Which means figuring out how to get her memories back and helping her remember who she is."

 _Right. Her memories_. "Well…um…I've been doing some research and found out that a Trident is the symbol of Poseidon. Castiel said it was a uh…sort of Calling card for the Forger of the watch."

"Forger? Don't you just like… _make_ watches? What is it, a Fossil watch or something?"

Sam got a puzzled look on his face. "Um…no. The watch is a weapon. It's made of the same type of metal used to forge the weapons of Heaven, like Angel Blades."

Dean's eyes widened. "Seriously? How could a watch be a _weapon_?"

"I have no clue, but that's what Cas said."

"Yeah. _Apparently_. Why the hell didn't he tell me any of this then?"

"Actually, I don't know. Normally I'm the one he doesn't tell stuff to."

"Right? What the hell?" _Ugh. What the Fuck, Angel?_ Dean rubbed his temple between his thumb and middle finger. "Okay, so who made one watch to rule them all?"

Sam rolled his eyes at the weak _Lord of the Rings_ reference. "We don't know, that's what we're trying to find out. Apparently the Angels have no idea where their weapons come from. They're standard issue. Cassie's watch is an exception." She seems to be the exception to everything. Angel but human, thousands of years old, but only twenty two. Holds the grace of an Angel, but the soul of a human at the same time. Strong and hardened by the world, but soft and innocent. She was the textbook example of yin and yang.

Dean took a swig of his Samuel Adams and nodded. "Great, so where do we start looking?"

"I was trying to find weapon forgers, and the Greek god Hephaestus came up. According to the Mythology, he forged everything from Hermes' Sandals to the armor of Achilles."

"Great, so all we gotta do is find out how to summon this Heff-es-ist dude."

Cassandra was staring at them both wide-eyed as they talked about something so unbelievable. _My watch is a weapon?_ The wrist bands of wonder woman came to mind _. Angel Blades? Summoning? Greek Gods? This is crazy._

Sam smiled as he saw her expression. "You're gonna see Team Helsing in action,' he said.

She grinned.

"Okay, now _that_ is a name that wasn't supposed to catch on. _Jefferson Starships_ was genius and you know it."

Sam sighed. "Dean."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

Dean caught it. "Team Helsing thing."

She smirked, nodding. "Okay. So how exactly do we… _summon_ Hephaestus?"

Dean took one last swig of his beer, then slapped his hands on his thighs. "That's what we're about to find out." He got up out of his chair and walked over to one of the shelves. "It's time to start digging. What do you think we have this overly-stocked library for?"


	10. Chapter 10: Sparks

**Author's Note: Okay, so I brushed up on my Supernatural knowledge and I figured out that this takes place in season 9 basically between episode 10 and before episode 11 because Dean hasn't met Cain yet and gotten the first blade or the Mark of Cain, and it's after Gadreel was cast out of Sam's body and after Castiel stole the grace of another Angel. It couldn't take place during season 11 (the current season) because I don't know what happens yet, considering all of the episodes haven't aired yet, and it couldn't be during season 10 because If Dean were a demon then it would take away from the focus of Cassandra and I needed to establish her character first before the story got too complicated. So now most of everything is set up. The tricky part is going to be balancing what's going on with Cassandra's self-discovery, the almost-romance between her and Sam, the maybe romance between Dean and Castiel, Castiel's spiel with Metatron, and of course the crap that goes on with Dean concerning the Mark of Cain.**

Chapter 10

Sparks

 _This place is unbelievable_. When Cassandra had acquired free time (which hadn't happened very often) it was almost always spent at the library.

But this…this was a treasure trove. Information on everything from werewolves to demons to ghosts…and apparently lots of major figures in history had a part to play in the war against the supernatural.

It was all completely, and utterly mind-blowing.

"I got something," Sam suddenly said from across the room.

Cassandra put down the book she was reading and walked over to him, hugging herself. "What does it say?"

Sam blushed. He was so programmed to hear a response from Dean that whenever he got a reply from a soft-spoken female voice it flustered him a bit. "U-uh-um, well it says that when trying to summon a Greek god it's best to have some kind of wine, wheat and food as offering, and since it's Hephaestus in particular that we are trying to summon… a weapon you've forged yourself as tribute."

 _Well, shit_. "Um...the only thing I've ever forged is signatures," Dean said, laughing at his own joke.

Sam didn't and Cassie just rolled her eyes. "See? Even Cassie is getting with the program. She knows your jokes are lame."

"Nah, he's made a few good ones. That particular one was just kinda low on the totem pole," she said, smirking.

Dean got a hurt expression and scrunched up his face in protest, crossing his arms. "When did _you_ get so cocky?"

"Dean. Let's get back on track." _God why does her laugh have to be so cute? I just want to tackle her and cuddle her and_ …

Sam tensed and had to look away. _And finish what we started._

Cassie giggled. "Oh wait! I have an idea."

She went to one of the desks off to the side of the room and grabbed a bunch of pencils, tape, rubber bands, and a ball point pen, setting to work at the table.

"I remember learning how to make one of these in middle school," she said, taking apart the pen, taking two pencils and wrapping them together with rubber bands, and setting all of the pieces in place.

The two brothers watched with fascination, and went wide eyes as she held up the finished product.

"Tah-dah! It's a mini crossbow made of pencils." She held it out to Sam.

Sam smiled, examining it at eye-level. "Huh. I guess this counts as a weapon you forged yourself."

Dean was dumbfounded. "Are you kidding? That thing is awesome! It's a freakin' crossbow!" He was grinning from ear to ear. "We might have to make a new spot in Team Helsing. There's hope for you yet as a hunter."

Sam's heart fluttered in his chest. Hunting with them? She was too sweet to kill anything, Sam couldn't picture her…

But the way she held her handmade crossbow and pretended to aim with it…

He could see it. Cassandra sitting on the middle seat in the back of the impala, leaning over the booth seat to look at the road ahead of them as she held _suan ywe gou_ in one hand, and Sam's fingers entwined with hers in the other.

Her voice broke him from his thoughts. "That's great, but these aren't that hard to make. I'll show you sometime."

Dean clapped his hands together and rubbed his palms, the _now we're talking_ gesture. "Great okay. So we have the weapon…which I thought was going to be the hard part. I'll get the food and booze. Maybe Hephaestus likes wings," Dean was grinning. When he looked over at Sam though, he had the look in his eyes that said, _WE are going to talk later and YOU are going to tell me what's going on, so don't think you're out of the woods yet, Sammy._

Sam raised an eyebrow in an, _I don't know what you're talking about expression._

But then Dean glared back. _Cut the bullshit, you lying sack of-_

As they were staring Cassandra shifted her eyes between the two of them and just voiced aloud, "Is it considered incest if you have eye sex with your brother?"

Dean broke eye contact with Sam and pointed at Cassandra. "Okay, no that was _not_ eye sex, that was talking."

She grinned. "So you admit to having eye sex the _other_ time we talked about."

Dean glared, exclaimed, "No!" from the top of the balcony and closed the door behind him.

Now it was Sam's turn to raise his eyebrow. "I feel like I missed something."

She rolled her eyes. "I called him out on the fact that he had eye sex with my brother."

Sam threw his hands up. "Oh my God, right? They do it _ALL THE TIME_."

" _Really?_ No way!"

"You have no idea, it's really awkward when you're in the middle of it." He grinned.

And all of a sudden they were both laughing in spite of themselves.

"I wish they would just bang each other and get it out of their systems," Sam said through his laughter.

Cassandra was surprised. "You wouldn't care if Dean was..?"

Sam suddenly turned serious. "Well I mean, it would definitely be something to get _used to_. It'd be a shock mostly just because I grew up my whole life watching my brother flirt and make out with and spend the night with women, so it would be interesting if he was into guys. But he and I have been through…Cassie, you can't even imagine. And we're still in the middle of it. We've been there for each other more than our own parents. He's my brother, I'd have his back no matter what."

Cassandra smiled. "That's good. I'm glad. I know there's people out there that would see others differently, just based on their preference and I think it's stupid."

"Yeah, to each his own, right? Hell, Dean still thinks I'm a virgin. Or at least he makes jokes about it all the time."

Cassandra blushed and laughed a little nervously. "Oh wow, t-that's ridiculous. There's no way you're…"

But she wasn't sure. She was indirectly asking.

"Nah, I was real serious with this one girl about nine years ago. We dated for a year." Sam looked off and suddenly got this expression like he was somewhere else, not standing in front of Cassandra in the bottom of Library.

Cassandra played with the end of her shirt nervously. _God, it'd be so embarrassing to be with someone who's experienced when I've never even kissed anyone. "_ Um, w-what about since then? Have you been with..?"

Sam nodded. "Here and there. Recently I dated a woman for a little over a year when Dean…when he was in Purgatory."

 _Wait…what?_ "Purgatory? Like…Limbo? He was dead?"

"No. Purgatory is where monsters go when they die. It's like their heaven…kind of." Sam was glad to get off of the subject.

 _Good God_. "You guys have been everywhere, haven't you?" she asked.

Sam nodded. "Pretty much. Can't count how many times we've been dead."

 _The hell?_ Cassandra just stared.

Sam laughed. "Long story, trust me. It's weird being able to talk to a girl about this stuff. Normally I'd have to keep it a secret."

 _Crap._ "Good weird or Bad weird?" She suddenly couldn't look at him anymore, choosing instead to stare at the floor. _He can talk about this stuff with me because I'm not normal. I'm a…I'm a creature, like in story books and movies. I'm a freak. Heck, I'm even abnormal by **Angel** standards_.

But at that moment Sam stooped down a bit and stepped a little closer to her, his chocolate brown eyes locked with her icy blue ones. "Good weird." He said gently.

She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back, and darted her eyes up to his, then back down to the floor again. The butterflies in her stomach were at maximum overload.

Sam suddenly frowned, his eyes filled with concern. "Do I make you nervous?" he asked softly. He didn't want her to be scared of him. At all. He wanted more than anything for her to be comfortable around him. Then again, she didn't seem to be scared. She trusted him with her most prized possession, unsure of when she'd get it back, she had seemed into the kiss the first time they had a moment alone with each other, and the moment she saw him after they got back, she had a bright megawatt smile on her face. She'd been right by his side since then.

She blushed redder, still not making eye contact with him. "Yeah, but not in a bad way," she admitted.

 _Good. That's really good._ Sam smiled warmly, tilting his head towards the work table, an indication for her to follow. She followed and sat on the table top, waiting for him to come back from the mini fridge where he grabbed two beers, offering one to her. She took it tentatively, putting it on the surface of the table next to her.

Sam sat down, giving her an once-over. This girl was different than the other women he had been with. Usually they were the ones to come onto _him_ and were very confident and self-assured in their attempts. Most of them just outright flirted with him.

But Cassandra wasn't like that. She was very shy, as if the dating department of her psych was completely new to her. She tried to take the cap off of her beer but it hurt her hand, so she used the edge of her shirt as a grip to unscrew it, and even then it looked like she was still having trouble.

The sight was so adorable Sam had to hold back a laugh. "Do you need h-"

"-No, I just…" she tried for a few more seconds but groaned in defeat and handed it to him. Sam took off the cap in about half a second and handed it back to her.

 _Not a big drinker, I see_. Sam smiled.

If she wasn't used to drinking beer, she probably didn't have experience with other things, either. She _did_ leave high school in the middle of her sophomore year. What if she'd never been in a relationship before? Was she in one now? _Oh, God I hadn't even stopped to think about that._

But if she was, Cassandra would've tried to pull away when he was kissing her in the bed chamber. If they hadn't been interrupted…how far would she have been comfortable with going? Plus if she was dating someone but that someone let her walk everywhere, drifting from town to town and let her collapse from exhaustion in random places…

Well frankly, Sam would've killed him by now.

Castiel only did it because he had thought she was _dead_ , and the only reason he wasn't with her _now_ is because he's trying to hunt down Metatron and find a way to restore her to her old self, unlock heaven, and make a nice home for her.

 _But what if we could make a home for her **here**?_ Normally the last thing that Sam would want is to condemn anyone to their lifestyle, but this woman already knew what life as a drifter was like. She understood them, even if she didn't know everything about what goes bump in the night.

And she could learn.

Meanwhile his subconscious was kicking him for being so quick to have a woman settled into his life.

Her soft voice startled his thoughts. "You were right, by the way. Dean is nice once you get to know him. He was very kind to me." She sat back up on the table top, facing him where he sat in his chair.

Sam couldn't hold back scowl. _How kind_ **was** _he?_ "Really."

She smiled. "Yeah. We stopped at a diner and kind of had a heart-to-heart. He came to terms with the fact I wasn't a _monster_ , I came to terms with the realization that he isn't a total douche _all_ the time…" She smirked.

Sam couldn't help but grin back, but then a thought entered his head. They had stayed the night together. _They didn't sleep in the car, did they?_ An unwelcome image came to mind of her all cuddled up on Dean's chest, his arm around her. No, they probably would've stayed in a motel…but motels have beds. _Did they…have sex? Is that why she's being so shy with me now?_

She shrugged off the coat she was wearing and set it down on chair. "It was weird having someone look after me. I haven't had that for a while." She had a contented look on her face, like she felt safe. "It was like he was my big brother or something." She grinned. "Whoa Nelly, did we fight," she laughed.

 _Okay that was the most adorably reassuring thing I've ever heard in my life._ "What did you guys fight about?"All of that anxiety for nothing. _Good._

"To be honest, I was the instigator most of the time. I may not look like much but I'll sure as hell give you a run for your money when it comes to arguing."

Sam took a risk. "You look like a lot more to me than _not that much_ ," he said, looking up at her.

 _Oh..._ His gaze was so intense, like he was undressing her with his eyes. A warmth began to spread down her spine as her heart stopped, now just a heavy lump residing in her chest.

 _I want him to kiss me_ …she realized. The air between them suddenly felt thick and charged with some kind of energy. It made her squirm, and for some reason she just couldn't look away. She felt heat rising to her face and she couldn't help but take a shaky breath in, trying to get some air. _God, how did he do this to me just from **looking** at me?_

The sound of Cassandra's sharp intake of breath was heard crystal clear by Sam, and he didn't see how those hips of hers were squirming for long before it sent him over the edge. He stood up very suddenly and immediately wrapped his arms around her as she sat on the table, putting his torso between her legs so their chests were pressed together.

She whimpered quietly, already shaking slightly with adrenaline, but Sam mistook it for fear. "Is this okay?" he asked quietly, using his thumb to gently tilt her chin up so she could meet his eyes.

She shuddered at his touch, the roughness of his callused fingers sending shocks through her that made her feel longing in places she didn't even know she had. "V-very," she barely got out, and Sam couldn't take it a second longer.

Without another word his mouth descended onto hers and he was kissing her. He was trying to be careful but it was just so damn hard _. I want to cradle you in my arms and make you say my name…It would be so amazing coming from you…_

Her hands were shaky and clumsy as her fingers wove themselves into the back of Sam's hair, and he couldn't suppress a moan. _Oh, God please_ , he mentally begged. _Pull my hair._

He wanted her. He wanted to know what her stomach felt like and kiss her shoulders and up her calves… but he had to control himself a bit. He wasn't sure what Cassandra had done in the past. She could be a virgin for all he knew. He had to be gentle. Kissing her he could tell she wasn't used to the action. She was tentative and hadn't attacked his mouth the way he was used to from other women.

But she was definitely not unwilling. She was nervous, but not uncomfortable. Sam rubbed her lower back gently through her shirt as he kissed her with tenderness. _Relax,_ his hand said, rubbing slow, hard circles. A soft moan escaped from her and it made Sam tense as he felt it against his mouth. _Fuck._

His other hand gently stroked the back of her hair, and God it was such a thrill to feel those soft locks between his fingers. She gradually stopped shaking, but she was still breathing irregularly. _I'm glad I'm the one making you do that, but you can relax, baby…I'm not gonna hurt you._

He pulled away from her lips but kissed the corner of her mouth, then her chin, down her neck and moved her shirt away so he could kiss the top of her shoulder. Cassandra gasped and threw her head back. "S-S-Saa-aaah!" Her fingers tightened in his hair and he let out a groan. _Yes._

God this was intense. When was the last time kissing felt like this? It was as if there was a current of lightning flowing through the both of them, there were burning sensations everywhere their skin touched and they hadn't even taken their clothes off.

An image of slipping Cassie's shirt over her head came to mind, but he rejected it. _I can't do that to her, she might combust._ All he did was kiss her shoulder and her whole body tensed like she'd never been touched there before by a man.

And it was so…so… _hot_.

 _I need to stop or I'm not going to be able to._ Sam's jeans were already a lot less comfortable then they had been a few minutes ago.

He landed one last kiss on her shoulder and pulled away, still holding her in his arms.

Her face was flushed, her eyes shining and her whole body was still tensed. "Sam," was all she said, gasping for air.

He was out of breath too, and he gently cupped the side of her face in his hand. "I think it…goes without saying that um…" he cleared his throat, "I like you."

Her lips broke out into a smile, and she laughed weakly.

 _God she's beautiful._ "I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't've just _jumped_ you like that."

"I'm not sorry," she whispered, her face turning redder.

"Oh," he said, stroking a piece of hair out of her face. "I thought maybe I did something wrong…you wouldn't stop shaking."

 _Oh, Sam_. "I…I've never done that before, that's all," she admitted, unable to keep eye contact with him anymore.

 _Wait, what?_ "You mean, making out?"

She shook her head, and despite the fact she was a twenty two year old woman, she hid her face in his chest like a child and prayed he wouldn't think less of her.

It suddenly hit him. That was her first kiss.

His hand gently went to her upper back, holding her securely. _Shit I didn't know it was her first._ Sam immediately felt like he'd stolen something. "I didn't know,"" he said quietly. He wouldn't have initiated it like that if he'd known she'd never been kissed before.

"I liked it," she said into his chest, blushing.

Sam stiffened, feeling heat flow to his face.

"A lot," she added.

They were quiet for a few moments, Cassie just snuggled into Sam's chest, while he held her against him.

"I hope you know..I -I don't normally do things like that, I just - "

"I wanted you to," she reassured him.

Sam sighed, tilting his head up and closing his eyes. "I mean…I know we haven't known each other for very long...I mean damn not long _at all_."

 _You've cared for me since the start._ "I trust you. You're a good person, Sam." She planted a kiss where her face was burrowed.

Amelia's face fluttered through his mind. "I um...I haven't uh...been...intimately involved with a woman for a while now...I'm kind of rusty at this," he admitted, stroking a hand through her hair.

Cassie smiled, suddenly filling with hope and the blossoming buds of happiness. "Can this go somewhere?" she asked shyly.

Sam swallowed nervously and was taken aback by the sudden realization that he felt so close to her so quickly. "I want it to," he admitted.

Her heart practically imploded in her chest at his words, and she felt the urge to cry. It was then that she realized it was more than attraction she had initially felt for Sam. He was so sweet and considerate to her. He made her come apart at the seams just from looking at her, and this man now had her first kiss under his belt.

She knew the real reason she had been so devastated to leave the bunker.

 _It meant being away from him._

"Okay," she whispered, clinging to him.

Sam looked down at the soft tangle of dark brown curls burrowed into his chest, so much like her brother's and yet so different. It dawned on Sam that at that moment, and for the past five minutes, this woman had been the center of his universe. She had him wrapped around her finger without even _trying_.

And this time, he wasn't going to let the girl he cared about die.

What if she didn't have to reclaim her angel memories? What would happen when she did? Maybe she'd stop caring about him. What if she became as calm and collected as Castiel? Would she lose the spark inside her that made her Cassandra? Maybe…she could be a hunter instead.

 _We could teach her_. At least enough to protect herself. An image suddenly appeared in Sam's head of Cassandra wielding his _suan ywe gou_ like it was a part of her, stalking something in the darkness, side by side with him and Dean.

But then again, she had her watch. An angel weapon. It was waiting, dormant, like the sword Excalibur waiting for its rightful owner to activate it.

In the end, she'll have to choose what she wants. A life as an Angel of the Lord in Heaven, or as a Hunter with the Winchesters.

That is, if she even makes it through the battle between her grace and the soul of Sarah Rose.


	11. Chapter 11: Crowley

Chapter 11

Crowley

Dean went to a Gas N' Sip to pick up the rest of the items they needed for the Summoning, and he figured a blacksmith-type-God might appreciate Jack Daniels better than wine, so he picked up two bottles of it along with a bunch of hot wings. After he paid for everything, he stowed it all in the car and got in himself, putting the key into the ignition.

The first thing he was going to do was contact Cas. There was so much he had kept from Dean, and it wasn't like him. It made Dean feel hurt and frustrated. Sam kept secrets from him, that was a given. Brothers lied about things but Cas wasn't supposed to. He was supposed to be…his Angel.

 _Ugh. Fuck this. I need to call him._

He had him on speed dial, and waited for him to pick up.

It rang once.

Twice.

Three times.

 _"What."_

That wasn't the way he usually said hello. "I need to talk to you, Cas."

 _"I'm a little busy."_

Dean's stomach churned. He felt like some chick calling up their boyfriend. "Cas, please."

Cas sighed on the other line and heard him walk away. _"What is it, Dean?"_

He sounds annoyed. "Sam told me a lot. A lot that you didn't."

There wasn't an answer.

"Why didn't you?"

 _"Because it's not up to you to clean my messes, Dean. You've already done that enough. Cassandra is another mess. I failed her once, and it ended her life. Now that she's back to me, I'm not exactly eager to risk her life again."_

 _Huh?_ "How would she be risking her life?"

There was a pause. _"What did Sam tell you?"_

"He said that there was Enochian on the back of the watch, and that it's made of the same kind of metal that's used to make Angel blades. Two huge chunks of information that you failed to tell me when you called. Why?"

Castiel sighed. _"Your brother and I had a very heated dispute. Those details slipped my mind because I was overcome with my frustration. I apologize, Dean. I should've told you."_

There was the Cas he knew. "It's okay. It was just...weird. You usually tell me things like that. Did you catch what it said on the watch?"

 _"Yes, Sam helped me read it."_

 _Goddammit Sam._ "Well, what does it say?"

 _"Information concerning Cassandra, which I'm not going to tell you."_

 _Wait, what the hell? Like what?_ "Why?! Cas-"

 _"Like I said, this is my mess to clean up. Just let me handle it. I really have to go Dean."_

"Cas-" Dean couldn't think of anything to say, but he just needed…he wanted Cas to be next to him _. I miss you_.

 _"Yes, Dean?"_

Dean took a deep breath, and as he breathed out he lost his energy. "I hope you're okay, whatever it is you're in the middle of."

Cas didn't respond at first. _"Something is wrong."_

 _Yeah damn right something's wrong. I want to see you, you're keeping secrets from me, I don't know where you are and you won't tell me, and you're not acting like your usual self. Ever since Cassandra came into the picture you've been emotional, distant, and I haven't seen you since you left the Bunker after her outburst._ "It's been a while."

 _That's it, you said it, now stop talking._

Castiel didn't answer for an unbearably long five seconds but then finally said, _"You miss me."_

Dean didn't answer.

And all of a sudden everything was weighing on him at once.

Cas keeping secrets. Sam keeping secrets. Worrying about how they were going to gank Abaddon, the souls being unable to pass on, the Angels walking around the earth stirring up chaos and mayhem, Kevin, the newfound worry for Cassandra's safety, and most of all the one word that was just the icing on the cake.

 _Castiel._

Worrying about him.

His safety.

And deep down worried if…he's with… _someone._

 _"Where are you."_

 _Shit, he wants to poof himself into my car._

 _"Dean? I'll come to you."_

"It's fine."

 _"No, it's **not** fine. I can hear in your voice that you are unwell. Tell me where you are, Dean."_

"I'm _unwell_ because the one person in my life who isn't supposed to keep secrets from me is doing just that, and dammit Cas you know I'd help you! Why isn't Cassandra something we can fix together?"

 _"Dean, where-"_

 _Fuck it._ Dean hung up. _Son of a bitch._

He threw the phone down and banged his hand against the steering wheel, breathing hard with anxiety.

"Trouble in Paradise?"

Dean jumped and immediately drew his gun, pointing at the source of the noise.

There in is his black tailored suit and scruff was the ever annoying, King of Hell.

Crowley.

"Dammit, Crowley, I told you that the next time I saw you-"

"-Yeah, yeah, you'd kill me. I love you too. Any who, that's all in the past, anyway, isn't it?"

"How long have you been in here?!'

"I just caught the bit where you were whining how "He used to call you on his cellphooone" and now he doesn't." Crowley crossed his legs and wore a sly smile on his face, knowing he struck a nerve.

 _Fuckin' A, Crowley_. Dean gave him a death glare. He was so not in the mood for his annoyingly witty demeanor right now. "What the hell do you want?!"

"Well jeez, if I'd know I would be caught in the middle of a lovers' quarrel I wouldn't've popped in, but it appeared that you were just stocking up for a game night with the guys," he glanced at the alcohol and hot wings.

Dean glared at Crowley, but didn't say a word. _The last thing I need is the King of Hell knowing about an Angel who doesn't have access to her powers._ "That _is_ what I'm doing," he lied.

Crowley's expression changed to one of surprise. "Oh, it _is_ something important. You wouldn't be this uptight and defensive if it wasn't. So what's scheduled tonight for channel Winchester? Because I have a request."

"First of all, hell no. Second of all… _hell, no_." Dean's gaze didn't waver.

"Oh come on Dean, stop looking at me like that…you know what it does to me," he smirked.

 _Ugh._ "I'm busy. Get lost."

"I was just going to ask for a look into the Winchester Archives."

"Why?"

"I know how to destroy Abaddon."

 _Fuck._ "The Knights of Hell aren't exactly the dying kind. She _is_ a big issue but right now I'm in the middle of something."

Crowley practically convulsed. "I know what we need to kill her. So what on earth could possibly be more important than killing the last knight of hell?!"

Dean didn't answer.

"Oh, my. Well you're not going to keep Daddy in suspense, are you? You've piqued my interest."

 _You know what, Cas? You don't' want to tell me anything, fine. I'll just find out on my own_. "You know how to read Enochian, right?"

"Hmm." Crowley became thoughtful. "I'm better at speaking it than reading it but yes. Why, you got some kind of spell to make a certain Angel hot for you and want to put it into use?"

Dean grimaced, his voice coming out harsh. "None of your business why, I just need you to read something."

"Ha, _yes_. What's with all the secrets? I told _you_ why I need _your_ help. Hey, wait a minute," Crowley grinned. "How about an exchange of information? Plain and simple. You help me, I help you…it could even be fun."

 _I hate working with demons, especially freakin' Crowley._ "To anyone else, I'd say yes. But the thing is…you're the King of screwing us over."

"Well, to be technical, you kind of owe me. If it weren't for me, your brother would still be Gadreel's play thing. I helped you, Dean."

 _I want to trust you Cas, but dammit all you've pushed me to my limit._ "What do you want?" he said it in a tone less harsh, but he didn't put the gun down.

"Is that thing really necessary? First of all, you know it won't kill me. Secondly, if we're going to be business partners we need to be professional about it. Stow away your toy for now, Squirrel," he winked. "You can take it out for me later."

Dean reluctantly put the gun under his seat and started driving.

"Talk," Dean commanded.

"Oh, we're skipping formalities? I was going to ask what's going on with you and Giraffe."

Dean flushed out of reflex, and hated himself for it. "How much did you hear?"

Crowley snickered. "Not much, but since you keep asking me that it must've been juicy. I really wish you two would just bang each other and get it out of your systems, its exasperating for the rest of us onlookers to endure."

Dean gritted his teeth. "So what do you want to know, anyway?"

"Well, first of all, who's Cassandra, and what needs fixing?"

 _Dammit, he heard me say her name_. "No one. Why are you here?"

Crowley frowned, annoyed at being kept in the dark, but continued on. "Fine, straight to business. The weapon that the archangels used to kill the Knights of Hell is called the First Blade."

"Never heard of it."

"I've been chasing that blade for _decades_. The closest I got to it was when one of my droogs, Smitty, caught wind of a protégé demon of Abaddon's who claimed knowledge of the blade. Sadly, before Smitty could nab the guy, a hunter by the name of John Winchester nabbed the protégé."

"Okay, so?"

"I'm here to see if there's anything in the John Winchester Memorial Library that might lead us to the first blade…to killing Abaddon."

"Well, that's fine and dandy except for a few things. One, that means working with you, two, my dad's journal is back at the bunker, and three, how do I know this isn't a trap?"

Crowley grinned. "You don't. That's what makes it fun."

"I don't have time for fun. So give it to me straight. Is this going to end up with me in a body bag?"

Crowley paused for a minute. "Well, Squirrel, since we're being honest with each other…no, it won't. Now…speaking of honesty…"

Dean sighed. "The thing is I can't tell you why I need your help because I don't know. There's a bunch of Enochian on the back of this watch and we don't know what it says."

"Ah. So…since the spat with Angelboy, getting his help is out of the question."

"He knows what it says but he won't tell me."

"Well, _that's_ a first, isn't it? Giraffe keeping secrets from his pet. _Now_ I see why you've got your panties in a twist." Crowley nodded. "Well, fine. If you help me, I'll help you. Is that simple enough for you to wrap your head around, or do I have to dumb it down for Squirrel?"

Dean scowled. "I'm heading back to the bunker. _You're_ staying in the car, _I'm_ coming back out with the watch and Dad's journal, you translate what's on the watch and then I'll see if Dad mentioned anything about the First Blade."

"How do I know you're going to give me what I want?"

Dean smiled for the first time since Crowley got in the car. "You don't. _That's what makes it fun."_

"Touché."

Suddenly Dean's phone went off again.

The caller I.D. was Sam.

Dean answered. "Hey Sammy, I'm almost back."

 _"Okay, great. What'd you get?"_ he sounded out of breath.

"Are you okay?"

 _"Yeah, why?"_

"You're breathing hard like-" _Oh_. "Son of a bitch, I'm gone for fifteen minutes-"

" - Dean, nothing happened."

"Yeah, okay I thought maybe you could keep it in your pants until I got back-"

"-DEAN! THERE IS SOMETHING STUCK TO MY SHOE!"

 _Oh_. Sam probably put Dean on Speaker. Ha. _Oh, that just made it more fun_. "So do I. Did you mice have fun while the cat went out for booze and wings?" Dean grinned.

 _Oh my Goodness_ , a feminine voice said in the background. Ha. _Cassandra_. She was probably mortified.

Crowley shot dean a conspiratory look but he ignored him.

"Wait, _your_ shoe?"

"Yeah, not that big of a deal just don't bring up Cas." _There. I could be talking about Castiel but now Sam knows I mean Cassandra. And Crowley thinks I mean don't talk about Castiel because he and I had an argument._

"You got a Greek God _Beer_ and _Buffalo wings_? Dean-"

"Relax, I got Jack Daniels, he'll appreciate it. I'll be there in five minutes. Find the summoning spell."

"Already did. Just get here and pray this works."

"Yeup. Also, the Enochian issue has been resolved."

"Oh. You got Castiel to change his mind?"

Dean hesitated. "Yeah, he and I talked."

"Figures. Did he tell you the ingredients?"

 _I fucking knew it. He was hiding something._ "No, he _didn't_ Sammy. Ingredients for _what_? Cuz last time I heard you didn't _know_ anything because _Cas_ wouldn't _tell_ you."

There was silence.

"Oh, you are _definitely_ in Funky Town. In fact you've got fucking reservations! Two minutes, and you've got a hell of a lot of explaining to do." Dean hung up. "Son of a bitch."

Crowley sighed. "I could feel the brotherly love from over here. The Enochian is a spell?"

"Yeah, but I don't know for what. Sam knew what it was the whole time, but apparently Cas didn't give him details. I'm so sick of all this deception crap."

"Yeah. It's really sad to know the only person who's been honest with you today is the King of Hell."

"Don't fucking remind me."

* * *

Dean pulled up in front of the Men of Letters Headquarters. "Wait here."

Crowley nodded. "Just try to keep the length of your upcoming hissy fit to a minimum, I'm not the most patient person in the world."

"You're not even a _person_ ," Dean countered, but he grabbed the food and whisky, heading down the steps of the bunker.

When he got inside, Sam was pacing and Cassandra wasn't in sight. He looked up at the sound of the door opening.

"What the hell, Sam?!"

"Dean, we'll talk, just-"

" - No. Now. What does it say on the watch?!"

"I don't know! Cas didn't tell me the translation. He just told me it was a spell and what the spell was for."

"Where's Cassandra?!"

"Bathroom. Look, I'll tell you but it can't be when she's around," Sam was whispering.

"Why the hell not?!"

Sam had to be quick. "It's an activation spell for Cassie's powers. But once her grace is activated, it will also wake up the soul of her vessel, and they'll be fighting each other for control of the body."

 _Wait…what?_ Dean fell silent. "Hell."

Sam almost had tears in his eyes, and the next part he said was barely audible. "If Sarah's soul wins control of her body back, it will destroy Cassandra forever. The spell could _kill_ her."

 _Son of a bitch_. _No wonder Cas wouldn't tell us._ Dean had to sit down, almost stumbling over from the weight of what he'd just been told. _We could lose her forever. And some stranger would take her place. This whole time we thought that Cassandra's body was her own but it belongs to the human soul that's still inside._ "What the hell do we do?"

Sam took a deep breath, full of anxiety. "We can't tell her."

"This is kind of a big piece of information to keep from her isn't it? Doesn't she deserve to know?!"

"Cas didn't want to risk it killing her, so he wouldn't tell me the ingredients to the spell. I wanted to know the ingredients just in case. But this would be too much for her to handle. You've only known her for a little over two days and this almost brought you to your _knees,_ Dean. What the hell do you think it would do to _her_?"

Sam had a point. This news could completely destroy her. Plus, it would be terrifying. He couldn't picture being told that he believed this whole time that the body he resided in didn't belong to him, and he was suppressing the life of another person. Not to mention if the spell is performed to get her full power back, what if Sarah Rose _won_?

"For now, we'll put this on hold then. We'll focus on summoning Hephaestus, killing Abaddon and finding Metatron."

"Put what on hold?" Cassandra came back in from the bathroom in a pair of Sam's sweatpants and a tank top.

 _Uhhhh_ … Dean stared at her from head to toe. Her hair looked messy and her walk was a lot more…relaxed.

Dean's accusatory stare shifted to Sam.

Sam flushed. "She wanted to dress for bed and she didn't have pajama pants, so I gave her a pair of mine."

 _Yeah, okay._ "Fine. We'll have to take you shopping for clothes soon, Sweetheart."

Her gaze was upwards, however. "Someone's here," she said.

"Yeah, um…" _Dammit. They think it's Cas_.

"It's not Castiel," she said, her gaze going to Dean.

 _What?_ _ **Now**_ _you pick to put your intuitive abilities into overdrive?!_

It was Sam's turn to glare at Dean, and he walked up the stairs to go outside.

He opened the door and stepped out to see none other than Crowley leaning against the impala.

"Hello, Moose. How are you doing now that there's only one tenant up in your brain?"

Sam practically exposed his teeth to snarl. "Why the hell are _you_ here?!"

"For a business transaction. I've been waiting patiently but apparently Squirrel didn't keep his promise about cutting the hissy fit short."

 _Shit._ Sam felt a pair of hands grab his arm from behind. "That's the translator." Cassandra was in her sweatpants, barefoot outside, in front of the King of Hell.

Crowley's eyes immediately went wide. "Well, well well. You boys _have_ been busy. Finally found a way to turn Castiel into a girl so Dean can-"

"Cassie, go inside," Sam whispered. "He's dangerous."

"Who is he?" she asked.

He took a few steps forward, his walk oozing with charm. "Crowley, at your service."

 _He's British_. "Are you a monster?" she asked, her voice just filled with curiosity, not malice.

"Only under the sheets, Lizzie." He winked.

She blushed from awkwardness. "You're the one who can read Enochian, right? Can you tell me what this says?" She walked away from Sam and up to him, taking the watch off of her wrist. "The writing is really small, but-"

"I can see it. Hmm…" he took the watch from her and held it up at eye level.

"Cassie, please go inside," Sam walked up to Cassandra, pulling her arm to get them to leave.

" _Cassie?"_ Crowley looked up at Sam, then back at Cassandra. "Did they actually turn Castiel into a woman?"

Cassandra laughed. "No, I'm-"

"Cassie! He's the King of Hell!"

Cassie froze, then stared at Crowley, who was six inches from her, holding her watch. _The King of Hell?_

Crowley grinned. "Guilty as charged. And who might _you_ be? It's rude not to get acquainted with each other."

Cassandra got a confused look on her face, and looked him up and Down _. He's kind of short to be the king of Hell_. He was even shorter than _her._ "I…" Maybe telling him who she was wasn't exactly the best idea, especially if Sam was acting like this.

Dean came up from the stairs and motioned for Sam and Cassie to go inside. Sam stood his ground, but Cassie hid behind Sam, clutching his arm. He grabbed for her hand, and she put it in his.

Crowley noticed, and raised an eyebrow. "That's not Castiel." His expression shifted from politely interested to confused.

Dean walked back over to Crowley. "He'll leave soon, guys. Sam, take her inside."

Sam hesitated, but Cassie was pulling him towards the bunker. Her small hand in his jump started his heart and he succumbed, walking towards the door with her.

"It was lovely to meet you, Lizzie." Crowley winked again.

Cassie waved shyly, then descended down the steps back down to safety. Sam followed, closing the door behind them.

Dean carried a defeated expression on his face while he looked to Crowley. "Deal's off, Crowley. I don't need to know what's on the watch. I want to gank Abaddon as much as you do, so I'll look in my dad's journal and tell you if I find anything."

Crowley raised an eyebrow, confused. "You're up and down today, Squirrel. You were just talking ten minutes ago about honesty, and you're so lit up with lies and secrets I could plug you into an outlet."

He took a deep breath. But before he could say anything back, his heart dropped and he couldn't breathe.

Standing there, livid and in his full glory was Castiel.


	12. Chapter 12: Fire

**Author's Note: Okay so I've been getting requests for some Destiel action, so here it is. The Destiel chapter. Non Destiel-likers please don't hate me, I'm actually happy with how this turned out. It still has a T rating but the way things are going with Sam and Cassandra it might not for much longer! So be prepared :3**

Chapter 12

Fire

He appeared in front of Dean, causing a shock to his system. His heart sped up at the sight of those piercing blue eyes and his tousled dark hair. His mouth was in a hard line.

"Dean," he said. "I've been calling you for the past five minutes, and you didn't pick up. Now I see why."

 _Shit, he's pissed_. "Cas-"

"You're really this desperate, Dean? I told you I'd come to you. I know you needed me. I left something very important and I come here to find you with _Crowley_?"

Heat immediately went to Dean's face. _That's exactly what I did, because you wouldn't answer me. I need more than sweet words and reassurance, I needed the truth and you refused to give it to me._

Crowley smiled, handing Cassandra's watch back to Dean. "If it's any consolation Angel, he initially asked for my help but then changed his mind and now refuses it. He probably feels guilty after all the fun he's had and now he wants to pay penance to his beloved."

Dean got red in the face. "Shut the hell up, Crowley!"

Crowley sighed. "Well, this evening was a complete waste of time. If you find anything give me a call. I'll be waiting, Darling."

He disappeared.

Now it was just Castiel and Dean Winchester, at odds once again.

"Dean," Castiel was about to scold, but he registered the look on Dean's face.

A look of complete dejection and depression. "You can get back to whatever it was I'm keeping you from."

In a few strides, Castiel was in Dean's face, grabbing his shoulders. "Dean, what's going on? You're not yourself. You haven't said anything, but it's obvious that something's been causing you distress."

 _I'm confused about how I feel about you but you're never around and once again I have to put my feelings on the back-burner because we have a world to save, a heaven to unlock, a Knight of hell to kill, and now a wayward Angel to fix._ Dean didn't say anything, unable to make eye contact.

"Dean!" Cas shook him and Dean had to pull away because if he had to look into those blue eyes again…

"I'm fine, Cas! Just leave, okay?!"

"And you were mad at _me_ for lying? How can you have that right when you pay me the same courtesy?"

 _Crap._ Dean still didn't say a word.

Castiel had had enough. He grabbed Dean by his coat and pushed him against the impala, forcing him to look at him. "If you won't tell me -" Cas pressed his finger to Dean's forehead, and even though Dean struggled against him, Cas saw everything.

How distant he'd been towards Dean and that it deeply bothered him. He hated when Cas kept secrets from him and only went to Crowley because he appeared out of nowhere and Dean had been hurt over Cas refusing to be honest with him. How Dean looked at him when he thought that Cas didn't notice, how dependent he was on Cas, not just for information and help, but just _being_ there. How unbearable the thought was of living without him, and if God forbid he died how Dean wouldn't be able to continue on. The way he got short of breath whenever Cas' caller I.D. showed up on his cellphone, how his heart sped up whenever Castiel was around him and the deep guilt he felt for having such feelings about his friend, who probably didn't feel the same way, and the fear that if he ever mustered up the courage to confess, it could ruin what they had forever. How it bothered him that everyone made jokes about them being a couple because it was _painful._

Because deep down it's what he wanted, but he was terrified because he'd never been intimate with a man before, and he thought something was wrong with him for wanting Castiel in the first place. And most of all, how there was never a good time to tell Cas how he felt because there was always something to fight, someone they had to save, or a problem they had to solve.

Cas pulled his hand away, and stared at Dean.

Never Ever. In a million years did he think that _that's_ what was causing Dean so much anxiety and frustration.

There was not one human being out of the seven billion on this planet that Castiel cared for more than Dean Winchester. The moment he raised his soul from perdition and laid his hand on Dean he knew that Dean didn't belong in hell. His heart and love for his brother was so pure and unwavering it blew Cas away and hypnotized him. Because Dean, a person who was so loyal even if it meant costing his life, would do anything and everything for the people he loved, and didn't think he deserved love himself.

He was tortured, broken and beautiful, and Castiel saw all of it.

Did Cas love Dean?

Castiel gave up heaven, his army, everything he knew and loved because Dean came first. There were times where he had to kill Dean or be abandoned by his kind, and he couldn't do it.

No matter what the scenario, Cas always _always_ answered his calls within the first ring, and whenever something happened Cas' first impulse was to report to him before anyone else.

And there were instances when Dean had trusted him over his own family, even when he didn't deserve it.

Dean pushed against Cas but it was a half-hearted attempt. He was still silent and didn't say a word.

"Dean," Cas said, more gently this time.

Dean had a grimace on his face, like he was expecting the blow of a punch. "Yeah, I know. You saw, right? You saw everything? So just let me go and I'll be out of your hair."

But Cas didn't let him go. "Dean," he said again, as if he were telling him a secret.

Dean finally met his eyes, and his heart stopped.

Castiel himself hadn't had many experiences in the bedroom department. Heck, the only person he'd had sex with turned out to be a Reaper. So sexually, he had no idea if he was into guys either.

But when it came to Dean…

"Dean…" Cas' voice was so quiet that if Dean weren't as close to him as he was, he wouldn't be able to hear him. "Would I be allowed to try something?"

 _Wait, what?_ There's no way this is happening. He just found out everything, and he didn't make any move to suggest that he wasn't considering it. "Try what?" Dean said, barely audible.

Cas just looked into Dean's green eyes, such an unusual color for a human. "I think you know." His eyes darted form Dean's eyes to his lips, then back up again. He leaned in very slowly.

Dean froze. He wasn't sure what to do. He had to make a decision fast. He could stop Cas at any time, but did he _want_ to?

This was super risky, being out in the open like this. Sam or Cassie could come up any minute, there were a million other things going on, Dean didn't have time for something like-

And then Cas' lips were on his and everything disappeared.

Whenever Dean had kissed a girl he got hot and bothered after a bit of tongue and touching but this was something completely different. Dean's body literally felt like it was on _fire._

His hands went to Cas' shoulders, desperately trying to get to him through the trench coat but it was impossible.

Castiel was responding too, his hand had moved to Dean's hip, pushing his torso against his own.

Dean couldn't think anymore, all he could do was feel and for one moment nothing existed. Not Cassandra or Sam or Abaddon or Crowley or Metatron or anyone. Just a Hunter and his Angel.

Cas pulled his mouth away, out of breath and with half lidded eyes looked at Dean. "W-w-we should s-stop," he said.

"Yeah, I think so too," Dean said, but he grabbed his face in-between his palms and crashed his mouth back onto Cas', and they were kissing again. The stubble of Castiel's face scratched Dean but he didn't care. All of a sudden after having a taste he couldn't stop.

But when Dean got to the point he couldn't breathe he _had_ to stop, and pulled apart from Cas again, putting his hands down. "We could be seen," he said, breathing hard.

"You're right." Cas said, but he put his mouth back against Dean's, unable to stop either.

 _You're the person I care about most in this world, the world above and the world below. Out of all the angels, demons, monsters, humans and everyone on this Earth you, are everything. And I'm so sorry you've been suffering for this long._

After a while, their kisses became softer and more tender, gentle pecks here and there, their hands exploring the most that they could despite the restriction of clothing. It was pitch black outside now, and cold but Dean didn't care. He felt like he could heat them both, he was emitting so much passion.

Finally after a few more minutes Cas was the one to pull away, and he cupped Dean's face in his hands gently, pressing his forehead to Dean's. Dean's breathing calmed and he relaxed. Cas still couldn't believe that Dean Winchester felt this way about him. "Why, me?" he asked softly.

Dean swallowed nervously, leaning into Castiel's warm touch. "B-because I didn't have faith in God until you decided to have faith in me."

Castiel was taken aback at Dean's words, but then realized how true they were.

Dean hadn't believed at first that he deserved to be saved from hell, and that was the most heartbreaking quality about him.

Cas pressed his lips to Dean's one last time, then pulled away and stepped back. "I have to go. But I'll keep in touch and I'll be back. Stay safe, Dean."

Dean nodded, suddenly colder since Cas had pulled away. "Okay." He said.

Cas shot him a warm, loving smile, and was gone.

The second he left Dean collapsed in front of the impala. He hugged himself and shook with all of the overwhelming feelings that were coursing through him. Now that the block in his mind that had stopped those feelings from surfacing was broken, he wondered how he'd ever been able to suppress them at all. He couldn't believe it. How many times had he dreamt about kissing Cas? How many times did he wonder what it would be like, how it would feel? How Cas would feel?

It was all better than he had ever expected, because Cas treated him with such tenderness. An Angel of Heaven cared about him enough to treat Dean Winchester in such a manner. When was the last time he'd been treasured like that? Like his body was made of glass and if he had pressed hard enough Dean would shatter?

His heart pounded hard in his chest just from the thought of it. What were they supposed to do now? They had to keep this a secret. And what was _this_ , anyway? You couldn't say that you're in a relationship with a person after one kiss, could you? Maybe it had just been a one-time deal. A fling. An experiment, because Cas had never kissed a Man before.

Before Dean could think about it anymore, he had to get back down to the bunker and help summon Hephaestus.

He had other priorities right now, and so did Cas.

Dean walked back down the steps to the great metal door, leaving his feelings behind as he walked in.


	13. Chapter 13: Summoning

Chapter 13

Summoning

 _Dean's such a hypocrite. He's mad about me keeping information from him, yet he has the gall to work with Crowley and not tell me? Idiot._ Sam was in a sour mood as he went around the space they had cleared, lighting all the candles and putting everything in place for the Summoning.

Cassandra looked at Sam with concern, knowing he was mad about something. "So I'm guessing you and Crowley aren't friends."

Sam laughed bitterly. "No, far from. He's screwed us over more times than I can count. He's a demon, and demons can't be trusted."

"I thought demons had horns and tails and were red and stuff."

Sam sighed. "No. Demons actually look like a cloud of black smoke, but they can posess a human, and then walk around without being detected. But even if we can't tell right off the bat if someone is a demon in disguise, there's ways to protect yourself _." Thank you, Cassandra. Questions keep my mind off of all the other shit. Keep them coming._

"Like what?"

"Well, putting salt lines in front of doors and windows, whispering _Cristo_ if you suspect someone is a Demon. If they are, they'll usually react with anger or it'll reveal their black eyes. Holy water hurts them, and Dean and I have exorcising chants memorized."

 _Whoa, Team Helsing is no joke. At least the salt thing makes sense now._ "Wow. Crowley seemed…I dunno, nice though."

Sam scoffed. "Yeah, most demons do, because they're trying to trick you. There's a type of demon called a Crossroads Demon, where a few bones and a picture of your face can get a Demon to appear and they'll make a deal with you. Give you whatever you want in exchange for your soul. And after ten years, they come to collect it, dragging you to hell."

Cassandra shivered. _Fuck._

"Dean did it once. He gave his soul to save me. It worked, but they only gave him a year to live. After a year, he was put in hell. And after four months, your brother lifted him back up."

Now it all made sense. Dean made a deal with a crossroads demon, and was saved by Castiel. That's how they met.

The door finally opened after what was a long time, and Dean came in.

But he seemed different.

His eyes were brighter and his cheeks were flushed, and he was more jumpy than usual, avoiding eye contact with them both. "I didn't end up working with Crowley. I told him to get lost, and then Cas showed up. We talked for a bit."

But Cassandra's instincts were telling her otherwise. They did more than talk. But she couldn't put her finger on what might have happened.

Dean unwrapped the food and poured a glass of the whiskey. "Are we ready?"

Cassandra looked at them both and nodded. "Yes. I want some answers."

That stabbed a bit at Sam's heart. _There's some answers I can't give you, baby_.

Dean finally looked at them both and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.

Sam started reading from a book, raising his voice with each sentence. " _Vulcani deus metallo incendio lapis et petimus ut nos loqui. Placere nos coniunge!_ _"_

At first there was nothing, it was just still in the room and there was no indication that the book had done anything. But then all the electricity in the bunker flickered out and everything was dark except for the candles burning.

 _Shit._ Dean drew his gun and Sam grabbed a knife from off the table. "Cassie, Alien Claw," he said.

 _What?! I don't even know how to use it!_

And it was too late.

Before them stood a heavy set man with a long copper colored beard. He wasn't the most attractive man on the planet but his eyes were warm. He was in black jeans and a light blue polo. He flashed them a smile as he sat down in one of the chairs from their work table. "I didn't know that anyone still cared about the Gods, after the Romans had their way with us and the Christians raped what was left. It's good to know we aren't forgotten."

Wait…he's…friendly? _That's a first._ Dean bashfully put his gun away. "Are you Hephaestus, the Greek god of metal and fire an' all that?"

He nodded. "I am. I was in the middle of teaching my metalwork class at Phoenix University but I was curious. Why would two hunters and a wayward girl request my presence?"

They all exchanged a confused look. _Phoenix University? He was a teacher?_

Dean held the watch out to Cassandra, and she took it, stepping tentatively towards the man who was apparently a Greek god. She wouldn't've believe it except for the fact that he blew all the fuses in their home and he appeared out of nowhere. "I know that you're the weapon maker of all the gods. Did you make this?"

He crossed his arms. "Where's your tribute?"

Cassandra blushed. _Oh, right._

Dean grinned. "You like wings and Whiskey?"

Hephaestus laughed. "Well of course, but I was talking about the weapon."

"Oh!" Cassandra went over to the table, picked up the handmade crossbow and went back over to him.

All the while Dean smirked at Sam and worded, _Told you._

Sam rolled his eyes.

Hephaestus looked at it, an amused expression growing on his face. "Not exactly what I had in mind, but it _is_ unique. I can't say that anyone's every made a crossbow out of office supplies for me before. Very well, I'll accept it. But for future reference…it's a disgrace that you call yourselves warriors and yet you have no idea how to forge a weapon. The warriors I'm used to knew where their weapons came from."

"We _do_ know where they come from. It's called Walmart."

"Dean," Cassie scolded.

Sam sheepishly apologized for his brother. "What he means is…in this day and age, a skill like blacksmithing is almost lost to us. No one appreciates the art anymore."

"People do, just not as many as there used to be. It's like a doctor not knowing where to extract penicillin from."

"Most doctors are pretty ditzy these days, I bet money on it that-"

"-DEAN!" Sam and Cassie both exclaimed.

Hephaestus sighed. "Well, I should be getting back to my class soon. So please make this quick."

"Right. Okay so, we were hoping you knew a bit about Cassie…um I mean Cassandra, because she's trying to figure out how she could've been planted into a human vessel."

Hephaestus gave Sam a confused look, then glanced over at Cassie

She shrugged. "It turns out I'm actually an Angel. It's a shock for me too, until about two days ago I had no clue. But I've had this watch for years, and apparently it's made from the same materials that are used to make Angel blades. So I was hoping you could tell me-"

"Angel blades? I do not craft weapons for Angels."

Everyone fell silent. _What?_

Sam couldn't believe it. "But, it says in the ancient lore that you crafted all the weapons for the Greek Gods. The spear of Peleus, Achilles and Hercules' Armor, Zeus' thunderbolts-"

"Yes, and I _did_ craft all of those things. By the way I want to thank you for offing Zeus. He was becoming even more temperamental and heartless with age. It did not suit him."

Cassandra gaped open-mouthed. _THEY GANKED ZEUS?!_

"No prob," Dean said, "Though technically it was the work of Artemis and Prometheus."

"Yes, but you two pushed her to be courageous enough to fight for what she loved. And that made Prometheus brave enough to sacrifice himself for the things _he_ loved. But anyhow…I don't make Angel weapons. What made you think I did?"

Sam walked up to him. "There's a trident in the face of the watch. We thought that since you created the weapon of Poseidon-"

"Now hold on a minute, I didn't do that."

 _Son of a bitch_. "What do you mean?" Sam sighed. Had they done all of this for nothing?

Hephaestus gave them all a scolding look. "You've obviously skimmed your reading, boys."

A lightbulb suddenly went off above Cassandra's head. _Wait a minute, Of course_! "Wait, that's right! To aid the gods in their battle against the titans, a helmet of invisibility was crafted for Hades, A thunderbolt for Zeus and Poseidon's was given a trident. They were given to them by-"

"Cyclopes."

 _Oh…my…god._ "Wait…are you saying that Cassie's watch and angel blades are all created by one eyed _giants_?" Dean was flabbergasted.

Hephaestus scoffed. "No. Homer just had a demented sense of humor and was extremely racist. The word Cyclops actually refers to a tribe that originally came from Egypt. They often wore leather eye patches over their eyes so that sparks wouldn't fly and blind them as they were crafting weapons, hence being called "one eyed." They also just happened to be very tall."

Dean shrugged. "I'm guessing you're not talking about the Simpsons, but either way it sounds like Homer is a dumbass."

Cassie giggled.

Sam got a questioning look. "Well…would you happen to know where we can find this tribe?"

"The three Cyclopes who crafted the weapons for the three brothers are Brontes, Steropes, and Arges. Arges crafted the thunderbolt of Zeus, and then later gave me the blue prints for replicating them, Steropes created Hades' helmet, and Brontes was the tribe member who created Poseidon's trident. Eventually the three Cyclopes went their separate ways over a dispute over whose creation was better and established tribes of their own. If you're looking for the creator of your watch, I would say to look for descendants of Brontes. I'm not sure if there is any descendants of that tribe still alive, but it's all I have for you, young lady. I'm sorry."

"No no, it's fine. You've been a great help. Thank you." Cassie beamed.

To everyone's astonishment, the Greek god actually blushed. "I hope you find what you're looking for my dear."

He suddenly disappeared.

The lights flickered back on and the candles had all gone out, closing the spell.

"That's one of the only times a God of some sort hasn't tried to kill us," Dean pointed out.

Sam shrugged, but then smiled. "It must be Cassie. She has that effect on people."

Dean nodded. "True. Even Crowley had a nickname for her in minutes. It took us a bit to get ours."

Sam scowled. "It's not exactly a _good_ thing that we have nicknames after two cartoon characters."

"Well yeah, but she got a _good_ nickname."

Cassie tilted her head in confusion. "You mean Lizzie? How is that-"

"—As in Elizabeth Taylor. Because of your eyes."

 _Oh. That makes sense._ She blushed.

"Well, this wasn't a waste. We have a lead." Sam was optimistic.

"Not really, we don't know where to start looking," Dean countered.

"But at least we know what we're looking for," Sam said. "The Brontes tribe. I'll start surfing on the internet and see what pops up."

"And the best part is we have booze and wings. Which means…" Dean poured another glass and held it out to Cassandra, "we're going to get you drunk."

Her eyes went wide and she froze.

Sam immediately stood in front of Cassandra in a protective stance. "No."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on! She's twenty two years old and she's never been drunk before. It's a rite of passage."

"It doesn't _have_ to be!" Drinking was never an activity of fun and excitement in their family. They always drank when they were at their lowest, depressed over a death, or trying to make it through the day without remembering all of the horrible things they've seen and done.

Cassie was too innocent for something like that. "Cassie, getting drunk is not fun."

"Well jeez, don't _lie_ to the girl," which was ironic because they were both withholding information from her, "If you get to have her first kiss, I get to have her first drunk experience. It's only fair."

Immediately Cassandra went red in the face and she got nervous. "U-um m-maybe I should just go to bed. It's kind of late, and a lot of stuff happened."

"Apparently it did," Dean winked. "Hey Sammy, make yourself scarce. I wanna hang with Cassie."

Sam scowled.

But then Dean got serious. "I'm not gonna make her do anything she's not comfortable with, I just want to talk to her."

Sam shot him a look as if to say, _about,_ ** _what?_**

Dean gave him a look back that said, _Not_ ** _that._** "That" meaning the spell on the watch.

Sam's expression softened, and he nodded. "I'll get to searching."

He grabbed his laptop and looked at Cassie, sending her a soft smile. She smiled back and waved, and he went down the hall.

The second he was gone, Dean patted the tabletop. "Have a seat, sweetheart."

She rolled her eyes. "Why do I feel another interrogation coming on?"

Dean tilted his head down and raised his eyebrows. "Because you're _getting_ one."

She sighed, then sat down on top of the table as Dean sat down in a chair next to her. She noticed the two large bottles of liquor. "Are we actually getting drunk?"

His face held a sly smile. "I told you, it takes a lot to get me drunk."

Cassie looked at him, then at the two large bottles, then back at Dean. "This _is_ a lot," she said.

Dean clicked his tongue. "Exactly." He had a big grin on his face as he took a sip form one of the glasses.

She laughed. "Okay Blue Steel, so what's up?"

Dean sat back in his chair. "What exactly happened when I was out getting supplies?"

Cassandra blushed. _Oh, so that's what this is about_. "You mean with me and Sam?"

Dean gave her a look as if to say, _No, you and Eddie Van Halen._

She blushed but then smiled, and very quietly in an even tone said, "We played cards and had tea awaiting your return." But then her face changed as she was trying to hold back a laugh.

Dean wasn't in the mood for jokes, though. "Did he take advantage of you."

Cassandra's smile disappeared. _Oh_. "No, of course not!"

"I'm serious. Because if he did, I'll beat the crap out of him, I don't care if he's my brother."

Cassie sighed. "No, he did not take advantage of me. He didn't do anything that I didn't want him to."

"Then what did he do?"

She took a breath, mentally trying to get her blood vessels to dwell elsewhere. "We kissed."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "You're getting this self-conscious over a _kiss_?"

She scowled. "Well first of all, to me it wasn't just _a kiss_. It was my _first_ kiss and it was a damn good one, so _there._ " She crossed her arms, all trace of embarrassment gone.

Dean looked awkwardly at the floor. _Ugh images._ "Okay, fine. Second question."

Cassandra glared, but didn't respond.

"How'd you know that I took your watch back when you first got here?"

Cassie hugged herself. "Sometimes I can just sense things, like the fact that my watch was in your pocket, and when someone was here and that it wasn't my brother. I also know that something else happened with you and my brother other than talking."

Dean looked away, but he didn't respond. "Why did Sam tell you to get Alien Claw when Hephaestus showed up?"

 _Oh_. "He gave it to me."

"When?"

"The day we left to take me to your friend Garth."

Dean nodded. "He really cares about you, then. That's the blade he used when he and I started hunting together. It's a big statement."

 _Oh wow, I didn't know that. I thought it was just a weapon he used_. Even though Cassandra had never killed anything in her life (or at least she didn't remember if she did) she was still touched when Sam handed it to her to keep herself protected. "What do you mean?"

Dean looked back up at her. "Well, you know how they say not to point a gun unless you have the guts to pull the trigger?"

Cassie nodded. "Yeah."

Dean handed her the glass of whiskey, and for once she took it, taking a sip. "Hunters don't give away weapons like that to just _anyone_ , and we only do it when we think it's necessary. So it means two things. One, that he thinks there will come a time when you need it, and two, that he plans to teach you how to use it."

 _Holy crap, what? But I'm not gonna out there hunting with them_. "But I don't want to kill anything."

Dean suddenly got a very sad look on his face. "At some point you'l have to. I'm gonna tell you something that Cas and Sam didn't want you to know. I'm saying this because I think you deserve to know. They want to protect you but you're a grown woman who can make her own decisions, and you need to be prepared."

Cassandra stared at Dean, not sure what it is he was getting at. "What are you talking about?"

When he met her eyes, they were sad and full of pain, like he was about to tell a little kid that their puppy got run over in the street. "I'm gonna tell you what it says on the back of your watch."


	14. Chapter 14: Ultimatum

Chapter 14

Ultimatum

Sam started his internet search by cross-referencing the trident symbol with any known tribes in Greece, but none came up. A bunch of cults that worshipped Poseidon, but none that went by the name of Cyclopes or Brontes and that knew how to forge weapons. Most of the blacksmiths that came up were either artisans who made sculptures or the guys you found selling t-shirts made of chainmail at Renaissance Faires.

 _Ugh. This is a wild goose chase._

Not to mention that if they found the one who made Angel weapons, (and Cassandra's watch) it would almost definitely lead them to someone who could read Enochian.

There were a few assumptions that Sam had already come to terms with. Whoever gave Cassandra the watch also crafted Angel Blades, the person who made it could read and understand Enochian, and whoever made the watch was probably the same person who gave it to her. Which means it was no accident that Cassandra received the watch in the first place.

Whoever did all of these things when Cassandra was fifteen and got her name changed had a plan for her. They wanted her to activate her powers and restore her Angel grace to what it was.

The questions they needed answers to were _who_ and _why_.

And come to think of it…why wait until twenty two years ago to plant Cassandra's grace into someone? Castiel said she died thousands of years ago. The only way for her to be alive now is if someone extracted Cassandra's grace, contained it and then somehow kept it safe for two thousand years, then eventually planting it into Sarah Rose as a baby.

 _Something like this is the last thing we needed_ , he thought. On top of all the other shit that happened to be their lives, now he had to find a way to protect Cassie and make sure she never tries to reclaim her powers.

And since the person who etched the instructions into the back of the watch _obviously_ was more than happy to help her with that, Sam was sure that they would tell her all about the spell and how it works. He gritted his teeth. _Yeah, but the problem with that is she's my girl now and I'm not going to let her get herself killed, so tough luck._

At the same time, if we find who did all of this, Cassie could get some information on who she is, and maybe find a way to reclaim her powers without the use of the spell. It was a shot in the dark, but it was worth a try.

Sam held up Cassandra's watch again. Watches were considered a form of jewelry, right? Maybe he was looking for the wrong thing…what if the makers of Angel blades specialized in jewelry and not weapons?

He typed in Brontes and Jewelry, and he immediately got a hit.

 _Brontes Luxury items, crafted by the finest Artisans on the East Coast._

It turned out it was a family owned business and they were very well off. It had initially been run by two brothers, but it appeared that one of them had died. In fact a Signature piece had been crafted in his honor called the Cyclops ring. It was delicate silver band with rubies and diamonds placed around in a cluster at the center of the ring to form the shape of an eye.

On top of it all, their principle location was in Sanford, Maine.

 _Maine? Where Cassie was born?_

It had to be what they were looking for.

He typed in the Brontes of Sanford, and the family crest popped up.

An ocean blue shield with a trident on the inside.

 _It's them! It has to be!_

Sam grabbed his laptop and headed down the hallway from his room to the library.

* * *

Cassandra took note of the look on Dean's face. "Is it bad?"

Dean looked down and then around the room. Anywhere but at her. "Yeah."

For a while she just looked at him, his eyes sad and his expression distraught. "How bad?"

Dean took a deep breath and another gulp from his glass. "It's a spell to reclaim your powers as an Angel, but it could kill you."

For a solid forty five seconds she didn't say a word.

Dean waited, not realizing he was holding his breath.

After thinking, her eyes met his and she said, "Then I don't need to know."

 _Huh?_ Dean raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She nodded. "I've gotten along just fine without powers. I don't care about that, I just want to know who I am and what happened to me. It isn't worth risking my life for." _I have something worth being alive for now._

Dean's expression changed to one of admiration and respect. "Jeez, you're the only Angel I've ever met that's not a power hungry asshat. Hell, you can't fly or read minds but you're more of an Angel than any of 'em."

A small smiled appeared on her face. "I was an atheist for the longest time. I guess I can't be anymore, knowing what I know, but even though I didn't believe in God it doesn't mean I didn't have morals. And…I mean if this is considered a sacrifice, then so be it. Because you guys are my family now, and that's what you do for family."

Dean smiled. _She sounds just like a Winchester._ "You're right. Well, if you're going to stay here and take up official _human-status,_ we need to cover a few things."

Now it was Cassandra's turn to raise any eyebrow.

Dean gave a look as if to say, _no sassy remarks, just let me talk._ "You're an adult. Which means, we can't tell you what you can and can't do. Booze and sex aren't restricted, just don't bring back any creepy creatures to the bunker. Don't tell _anyone_ the location of this bunker, even other hunters. Don't ever accept pot from a guy named Randy, no dogs in my car, and you're going shopping for a few basic necessities."

 _Oh…my…_ _ **God.**_ _Am I…getting a lecture from my designated parent?_

"You're getting' a cellphone. Honestly I think it's crazy that you don't have one."

"They can be tracked and I didn't want my adoptive family to come looking for me."

Dean's eyebrows went up. _She's smart._ "Well, no one is going to know that this cellphone is yours. My name, Sam's, Cas' and all the other emergency contacts are going to be programmed in. We always keep our phones on vibrate or silent as a safety precaution. If Sam and I are on a hunt and we are stalking somethin', a phone going off can blow our cover and get us killed."

 _Shit. This is all so heavy and being thrown at me so quickly._ "O-okay." Her voice was small.

Dean's expression softened. "We'll call you every few hours to check in, make sure no one's dead. Do _not_ call us unless it's an emergency, and I mean like a-random-guy-has-a-blade-to–your-throat kind of emergency. If you need something, we'll pay for it so no complaining, and last but not least…we're gonna teach you how to hunt."

 _WHAT?!_ "Dean-"

"Let me finish."

"Dean, I can't _kill_ anything!"

"You don't _have_ to kill anything, that's not why-"

"-I've never hurt anything in my life!"

"Cassie," Dean said firmly. "Listen, this bunker is literally the safest place in the world for you, but there's gonna be times when Sam and I have to go and work a case, and we can't take you with us, so you're gonna be here by yourself."

 _Oh._ "Okay…"

Dean's expression went dead serious. "What we do for a living is dangerous enough as it is when we're pumped and our heads are in the game, but if we have to worry about _you_ while we're on the job because you don't know how to _defend_ yourself, then you're putting _our_ lives in jeopardy."

 _Oh shit, I didn't think about that._ All of a sudden an image was conjured up in her brain of Sam getting stabbed by someone and she flinched. _That can't happen_.

Dean refilled his glass. "So honestly, learning a few of the basics would do more for us than you. It's bad enough that Sam's gonna to be thinking about you 24/7, I don't need you being defenseless on his mind, too."

 _Dammit he played the Sam card._ Then she blushed when she realized that there _was_ a Sam card."Fine. Like what?"

Dean took his gun from out of its holder on his side and slammed it on the table. "First thing's first, you're gonna learn how to shoot."

 _Oh fuck come on!_ "WHAT?!"

"Yeah. So that crap that happened when I trusted you with a gun that wasn't loaded? Yeah, that shit can't happen again. Because a mistake like that could kill you."

 _I'm so sick of all this "this could kill you" shit. Ugh._ "I've never shot a gun in my life! Maybe I could…" she glanced at her backpack. She decided to walk over to it on the table, unzip it and pull out what she had wrapped carefully in a T-shirt.

 _suan ywe gou._

Dean shook his head. "It's easier to use a gun. You can kill something from a longer distance without risking harm to yourself. It's fast and accurate. Using any kind of blade will be messy, no matter how clean the kill is. And you're getting _way_ too up close and personal. They have just as much of a go at you as you do at them. Plus…It's not like cutting into an apple or somethin'. When you stab someone, you can _feel_ the blade go through layers of fat and flesh and bone. It's a lot more personal than a gun, so a handheld would be your best bet."

 _Jesus Christ._

Dean sighed. "We'll get to it later. First thing tomorrow Sam'll take you shopping."

She shot him a confused look. "For hunting stuff and a cellphone?"

Dean smirked. "No, we're stocked on cellphones and gear. You need clothes and anything else you can think of that you might need to stay here."

 _Wait, what?_ "What's wrong with my clothes?" She crossed her arms.

"It's not your clothes it's that you don't _have_ clothes. When we left to go to Garth's you didn't even have any kind of coat and your boots were worn down to the soles."

Her whole body stiffened up and she winced. "One time when I fell asleep under some hay in a corn field, someone stole the coat I had. I was using it as a blanket."

 _Son of a bitch._ There was that jab of protective instinct again. _That just pisses me off. It takes a special kind of dickhead to steal like that from a young girl_. "The coat thing is taken care of now, but Sam's gonna have to take you to get other stuff." _I know all about what women wear_ _ **under**_ _their clothes, but actual clothes I have no clue._

She blushed. "You guys don't owe me anything, and I'm not comfortable with you paying for-"

"-Cassandra, this is no joke. I'm being dead serious. These are your options. Take a crack at the spell and hope it doesn't kill you, learn the basics and abide by my terms and stay with us, or walk out that door and forget who we are, what we do and that we ever met."

 _Shit. He's not kidding. Trying the spell is out of the question. I like being here, and I like Sam and Dean. I want to get to know my brother, get closer to Sam…I want to stay here with them. And as long as I don't really have to kill anything for_ _ **real…**_

All of a sudden the sound of footsteps was heard coming up from the hallway and Sam appeared, laptop in hand, out of breath. "I found the Brontes'! They're a family in Maine and they make jewelry."

"Whoa, hold it. Slow down. How do you know it's them?"

Sam put the laptop down, collecting himself. "Their family crest is a blue shield with a trident, their last name is Brontes, and one of their signature pieces is called the Cyclops ring named after a family member who passed away. Their primary location is in Sanford, Maine."

Cassandra froze. _That can't be_ …

"Wow. A'right, good work Sammy. Sounds like a lead-" but Dean stopped when he looked over at Cassandra and saw how tensed she was.

Sam immediately went over to her, hunched his shoulders down so he was eye level with her and took her hand in his. "What's wrong, Cassie?" he said softly.

Cassie blushed at the close contact with Sam and how tender he was treating her. She looked up at him and took a deep breath. "Sanford is my home town."

Sam's eyes widened. "Oh."

She looked over at Dean. "There's no way it's a coincidence. It has to be them."

Dean crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Well, what do you want to do?"

And she knew he was referencing his offer from before.

Risk being an Angel.

Become a Hunter.

Or leave and disappear.

The warmth of Sam's calloused hands holding her own was a feeling she didn't realize she needed until she got used to it. Dean had become somewhat like an older brother, looking out for her and Sam did too, trusting her with _suan ywe gou_. And there was Castiel, out there fighting his butt off so she could have a chance at a happy life.

Three people in her life who two days ago didn't mean anything to her.

And now they meant everything.

She looked Dean straight in the eye and said, "Let's go."

Dean smiled. "First thing tomorrow."


	15. Chapter 15: Reflection

**Hey everyone! I want to thank my readers and everyone who has supported me in the endeavor to write this story. It's something that started out as a few songs in my head and those songs conjured up images of the character Cassandra, and now she has really taken shape and incorporated herself into the world of Supernatural. Once again I do not claim rights to any of the characters, plot or any other part of the Supernatural franchise except my own character and sub-plots.**

 **-XeroSanity (a.k.a. Alexis)**

Chapter 15

Reflection

Dean wouldn't admit it openly, but he was glad that she wanted to stay with them. In a way, she kind of completed their team. Two angels, two humans. Well, Human-Angel-Warrior-Hunter Woman, but still. Dean smiled to himself as he remembered her nickname for them. _Team Helsing_. "You should get to bed, Sweetheart. Tomorrow's gonna start early." Dean made brief eye contact with Sam. _Stay._

He nodded quickly. _Yeah, Okay_.

Cassandra smiled and nodded. "Okay. I can sleep in the room that uh…?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, wherever you're comfortable, no problem."

She walked over to Dean and gently punched his shoulder. "See you tomorrow," she said with the biggest grin on her face.

Then she turned to Sam, leaned up on her tippy-toes and kissed his lips gently, surprising both Sam and Dean. "Goodnight, Sam," she said softly, her face crimson red as she said it, then proceeded to walk down the hall.

Sam immediately brought his hand up to his hair, running his fingers through it in a nervous gesture. The tip of his nose and his cheekbones were a modest pink.

Dean smirked and made a whip noise. "Wha—shhh."

"Shut up," Sam said, and he smiled. "What did you wanna talk to me about?"

 _It's good to see him happy like this. Maybe she's good for Sammy_. "I was gonna ask you to take Cassie somewhere tomorrow to get clothes. Go at around 6 though cuz I wanna be outta here by seven and on the road. Borrow Baby, and take my card."

 _Six? That's probably too early for Cassie._ _I'll figure it out_. "I was actually planning on taking her shopping anyway. Thanks for getting her the coat, though."

Dean nodded. "Nah yeah, I didn't want you to take it as I was moving in on her or anything I just didn't want her to get sick. It's freakin' November."

Sam briefly looked away. _Yeah, I did think that._ "Nah, of course not. It was a good call."

Dean smirked. "Mhm. Well, I'm gonna have a few more drinks and then hit the hay too. Oh…" he walked up close to Sam and whispered, "She likes coffee a lot, and all the same music I do."

Sam raised an eyebrow. Huh. So in a way she was a mini- girl version of Dean. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." He nudged Dean in a Goodnight gesture and started walking back down the hall.

Sam was trying to think of what would be best. _I don't want to wake her up at the crack of dawn to…_

 _I know what I'll do._

* * *

 _In the middle of the night, Cassandra heard a knock at her door._

 _The voice again. "You should answer that."_

 _She blushed, only in her panties and a tank top but she stepped bravely out of bed anyway and marched to the door._

 _She turned the knob and before she could process who her visitor was she felt a hot set of lips against hers and a strong arm encircling her waist._

 _She moaned into his mouth, automatically recognizing the taste as Sam._ _ **God yes please**_ _._

" _Sam," she whimpered, clawing into his hair._

 _Something had ignited in her body that left her torso and everything below hot and needy and she couldn't explain what it was. She'd never experienced this craving before and she had no idea how to make it stop, but somehow she knew that Sam did._

" _Ask him," said the voice._

" _Help," she whispered against his lips, "I don't know what to do." She was shivering and aching for his touch on her everywhere. If he continued to let her body simmer in this state surely it would kill her. He had to do something._

 _Sam laughed softly into her mouth, then pulled away to stroke the hair out of her face and said gently, "You're doing just fine." But he knew what she meant. Without another word Sam's hand went between her legs and she immediately cried out, the sensation so amazing and intense she had no control over her shaking._

 _She felt two roughly callused fingers play with the hem of her underwear and eventually slip down past it, straight to where she needed it most –_

" _Cut it out! If you get too excited you're gonna wake –"_

Cassandra gasped as she sat straight up in her bed, out of breath and her heart pounding in her chest. It took her a few moments to process that it had been a dream, it felt so vivid. _Maybe if you have alcohol before bed it makes your imagination act up._

She blushed at how heated it had been, and felt almost a bit guilty for having such thoughts about Sam. In the dream she felt… _horny._

It was odd of her to admit to herself, but even through her teen years she had never really felt that way, especially towards a guy in particular. There just hadn't been one that did anything for her.

 _What exactly_ _ **did**_ _he do to me?_

Tentatively, and shyly as if maybe someone was in the room with her, she slowly, soundlessly reached a hand down in the dark. She paused at the top of her underwear but took a breath and let a finger slide down…

She gasped and clung to her bedsheets with her free hand, her heart pounding hard again. _Good god_. She was completely and utterly turned on. Experimenting, she shifted her finger around –

She whimpered and bucked her hips up against the tip of her finger but then she felt ashamed of what she was doing and pulled her hand way, stopping the flow of pleasure. The spot between her legs throbbed in protest, aching for her to continue but shyness held her back. There was no way in _hell_ she could go back to sleep.

What she _really_ wanted to do was go to Sam's room and make use of his bed…

"God dammit Cass," she said out loud to herself.

She needed to cool it. They weren't even officially in a relationship. He made it known that he was interested in her, and if she wanted to be more…that he would make it happen. But the most they had done was kiss.

 _Can this go somewhere?_

 ** _I want it to._**

The memory made her smile.

And he was always so delicate and tender with her. She _did_ notice that in certain situations he'd become very protective of her, which she secretly liked.

A lot.

When they kissed he was very careful with her, and she remembered his assertive hand rubbing circles into her back to relax her.

Crowley hadn't seemed like much of a threat but Sam's first instinct was to stand in front of her as if he were guarding her. And he defended her when Dean initially thought it was too dangerous to keep her with them.

Come to think of it…

She squinted in the darkness, turning her head to look around the room but it was obvious that no one was there.

Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone had been _in_ here.

She squinted in the darkness and tried to look at her watch. She could see only see one thick black line where the six was. _6:30._

She flipped the switch in her room, rubbed her eyes to adjust to the change of lighting and looked around again, noticing that there was something on her desk that hadn't been there before.

She shot up out of bed and fingered through the clothes.

 _Oh my God it's like Christmas._ She giggled to herself and jumped up and down, feeling the soft and rough fabrics of her new wardrobe.

Three sweaters were folded and stacked up in different shades of blue, for when it was colder. There were three new pairs of jeans, one stonewashed, one dark washed and another the standard denim blue. There were also new tank tops in black and white, and about eight different shirts.

There were two band tees that featured _ACDC_ and _Led Zeppelin,_ four flannel long sleeved shirts in light blue, red, gray and green, and two peasant tops with mid-length sleeves that cinched at the area underneath her breasts in white and sky blue.

She couldn't help but squeal at the sight of a package of socks, none of them matching and in all different colors, and the best of all…

A bright red, shiny new coffee maker with a bag of Dunkin Donuts' bold blend and a huge white mug that said, " _I'm Not Short, I'm Concentrated Awesome_."

That made her laugh out loud, and it made her realize who did all of this for her.

It was Sam.

Then again, how did he know that she loved coffee? And _ACDC_ and _Led Zeppelin_?

It didn't matter. Somehow, she knew it was all from Sam.

She quickly got dressed into one of her new outfits, the dark wash jeans and the light blue peasant top.

Everything fit her marvelously. _They're really good at guessing sizes, she thought,_ recalling the boots and coat from Dean that also fit her perfectly.

She couldn't believe how lucky she was. For the past six years of her life she'd been alone, on her own and without a home. Now she had people who cared about her. A brother, Dean, and Sam.

And then the guilt set in.

 _God, why would they do all of this for me?_ It was almost overwhelming how much they cared about her so quickly, and the even more shocking realization that the feeling was mutual.

 _I'd do anything for them._

She pictured Sam walking around in a store, trying to figure out what kind of clothes she liked, guesstimating her size and picking out a coffee maker for her. And of all the socks he could've picked…how did he _know_ her?

Her heart beat faster as she realized that Sam must've… _touched_ all of these clothes and folded them and put them on her desk.

She pressed the top of her shirt to her nose, trying to detect a scent from him.

He had been in here, quiet and careful not to wake her up.

She recalled how hot and bothered she was, and it made her wish that he had. Cassandra took a deep breath, trying to clear her head and make the feeling go away.

She remembered that she also had Castiel now. A literal Angel of the Lord. He was protective and caring for her as well, and she _had_ him.

And an entire heritage to learn about.

Which reminded her…

Today was the day they set out for Sanford.

 _Maybe I'll finally know who I am and why I was brought back._

A part of her was nervous about going back to her hometown. What if someone recognized her? And they were driving through Vermont to get there…

It didn't matter. That was years ago, and Sam and Dean would keep her safe.

She brushed out her hair, popped into the bathroom to brush her teeth and scrub her face a bit to get the crusties out of her eyes, then looked at her reflection.

 _Whoa._ Her eyes were bright, and she looked a lot…healthier. Her skin was glowing, the bags under her eyes were all but gone, and her hair for once was cooperating, flowing to her shoulders in gentle waves and flipping up at the ends. She looked very good in her new clothes, too. She turned around a bunch to catch her figure and the jeans fit her… _really well_.

The peasant top was flowy and feminine but practical at the same time, and showed off the hourglass of her waist and hips. The color of the top brought out her eyes making them look extremely blue.

She blushed, knowing why she picked that particular shirt to wear. _All that man has seen me in is flannel and tank tops. I want to look pretty for him since he did all of this for me._

She stared at herself in the mirror.

 _I am Cassandra Trevelyan._

 _I am twenty two years old._

 _I am now a partner in crime to the Winchesters._

 _I might love Sam._

 _I have a brother._

 _And…I'm an Angel of the Lord._

She realized there was a lot more in the mirror than there had been before. Cassandra thought she knew who she was, but she was just barely starting to figure it out.

She now knew what she had _been_.

A warrior.

An Angel.

Powerful, strong and a sister to Castiel.

What she _was._

Cassandra.

A high school dropout.

Drifter.

Explorer of the World, with no place to call home.

Lonely.

Starving.

Tired and Scared.

And what she _could_ be.

 _ **A Hunter.**_

 _We'll see_. With one last look at herself, satisfied with what she saw, she stepped out of the bathroom, grabbed her coat and backpack from her room and raced down the hall.


	16. Chapter 16: Training

Chapter 16

Training

The two brothers were in the main study packing up the rest of their weapons and clothes for the trip. There was a tense anticipation in the air. It was the first time they were driving for this long with another person who wasn't Castiel.

It was a human-ish girl…with human-ish needs, like food, showers and sleeping.

Dean wondered if she and Sam were going to fight over rights for the passenger seat. _No, those two don't fight about_ _ **anything**_ _. And she's got him wrapped so tight around her little finger he'd probably give it up anyway if she really wanted it._

Almost on cue, she came bolting down the hallway and leaped into Sam's unsuspecting arms. She clung to him tight like a child, her willowy legs wrapped around his waist. Dean was facing Sam's back, so he could see her face as she rested her chin on Sam's shoulder, her expression full of pure gratitude and adoration.

It made his heart melt a little.

Normally seeing his brother all lovey-dovey with a girl would be weird, awkward, and make him want to gag even, but this was a bit different, for some reason. Probably because it was Cassandra.

She was predominantly led by her emotions, and her personality was just to act the way she felt. Dean smiled when he realized it would've odd if she _hadn't_ jumped into his arms with joy and gratitude. It was just the way she was.

Sam froze for a moment, not completely taking in the situation at once, but then spoke gently. "Hey. I was going to take you shopping but I didn't want to wake you up, so…I just picked up a few things. Did I do okay?"

Her eyes were closed and there were two thin streams of tears down her cheeks. Cassie had her arms around Sam's neck like he was the only thing holding her world together, and she gently whispered against his ear, "I don't even know how to thank you."

He hugged her back, and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Thank Dean. He gave me some tips on what to get you."

Her eyes opened, and those crystal blue orbs pierced into Dean's soul.

Her smile was so bright it almost hurt to look at.

 _Damn Angels, all pretty and crap,_ Dean thought. Castiel fluttered through his mind, and his stomach clenched. _Cool it._

"ACDC and Led, right?" She was giggling but also emotional.

Dean nodded his head in a subtle gesture, a soft smile on his face, but nothing extravagant. "And coffee. You ready to head out, sweetheart?"

She nodded, climbing out of Sam's arms carefully and getting her coat on, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

Dean had to suppress a laugh. "You uh…you're missin' somethin'."

She blushed, and immediately looked down at her feet.

The sock on her left foot was purple, and the one on the right was green. No boots.

Dean couldn't hold it in any longer. "Good God," and he laughed.

Sam glared but seeing Cassie's soft expression, he relaxed.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

Once they were outside with all of their gear, Cassie immediately went into the back seat.

Dean raised his eyebrows. _Huh_. _It's like she knows what the usual routine is._

The two boys followed suit, getting in their usual places and then Dean started up the car, not playing any music yet.

Dean got on I-80 East. "You listenin', Cassie?"

She was already leaning over the booth seat so her arms were crossed over the top, her head up front with the boys. "Yeah."

Dean gaze didn't waver from the road. "It's going to take two to three days to get to Sanford. If along the way, we happen to get wind of somethin' that could be a case, you have to do exactly what we say, how we say it, when we say it."

"You mean like monsters?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah."

Sam turned so he was facing her. "We want you exposed to the least amount of danger as possible, but we're also going to cover some of the basics."

"Like what?" When Cassie was in school, she loved to learn and did very well.

Student mode had been reactivated. She was hanging on their every word and absorbing their sentences like a sponge.

Sam cleared his throat. "I'll start with ghosts. What do you know about them?"

Cassie thought for a minute. "They're the spirits of people who didn't pass on because they have unfinished business."

"Right. Do you know how to kill them?"

Cassie raised an eyebrow. "How do you kill someone who's already dead?"

Sam laughed. "Ghosts are without question the most common thing that hunters deal with, pretty much on a daily basis. They're able to stick around because they've attached their soul to an object, so destroy the object, you destroy their attachment to this world, and they pass on."

Dean added in, "Salting and burning their bones usually does the trick. It's a big hassle cuz normally you gotta dig 'em up."

Cassie grimaced. "Ew."

Sam laughed, trying to picture Cassie digging up a grave, and getting exhausted halfway through. "You'll probably never need to, we're just telling you all of this so you know. But if salting and burning their bones doesn't work, then they found a way to attach themselves to something _else,_ like a piece of jewelry or clothing. To protect yourself from a ghost, you can pour a circle of salt around yourself on the ground and they can't cross it. Most of the time ghosts don't even realize they're dead, so they're usually a "strike first, ask questions later" type of being."

"That's most monsters," Dean said.

Cassie smirked. "Sounds like most hunters, too."

Dean "hmphed," knowing that comment was directed at him.

Then there was silence.

Cassie waited.

And waited.

…. _Huh?_ "No witty comeback?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't feel like it."

 _WHAT?!_ "Has Dean Winchester, the Comeback Queen, the Sass Master, the Remark Ringmaster _actually_ retired from – "

" – Listen, _Princess_ – "

Oh, that was a low blow. "UGH! I told you never to call me that!"

Dean smirked. "I win."

Cassie scoffed. " _Bullshit_ you win, I came up with three different names for you at the top of my head – "

"Oh, _don't_ play it off like you didn't rehearse those."

"I DIDN'T!"

" – Whatever you say, Princess."

Cassie crossed her arms and shot him a death glare. He just laughed. "Why do you hate being called that?"

"Because it's derogatory and demeaning and –"

" – Whoa there, wouldn't wanna use your whole vocabulary up in one sentence." Dean laughed again.

Cassie shot him an expression of disbelief and outrage, and Sam didn't know what the hell was going on, but he felt entertained regardless. _Is this what they did on the way to Garth's? It's a wonder they didn't end up killing each other._

"DEAN!" She exclaimed, but she was laughing. "You suck!"

Dean faked being hurt. "I do _not_ suck _, Cassandra_. Actually I'm awesome."

Cassie scoffed, her arms crossed. "Oh, well don't try to _downplay_ it, Dean."

"Never, Sweetheart," he winked in the rear view mirror, making Cassie roll her eyes.

Sam had to hold back his laughing. _I can't believe there was actually a moment that I thought they had hooked up._

There was no way in hell.

It pleased Sam that they interacted…well. They were bickering back and forth like they'd known each other for years. It felt oddly like…he was among family. He watched Cassie getting red in the face and Dean just getting more and more amused, struggling to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel from laughing so hard. Sam could see this being…normal.

But he made himself back up. _You didn't even officially ask her out_.

Yet.

It almost never happened that Dean had a genuine, friendly connection with the girl that Sam was interested in. He didn't have problems with Jess, but at the same time he almost tried to make her hook up with _him_.

Ugh.

But he didn't seem to be attempting that with Cassandra at all. In fact he made it clear that he _wasn't_ trying to.

" _I didn't want you to take it as I was moving in on her or anything I just didn't want her to get sick."_

"Wait, weren't you guys supposed to be telling me about how to kill ghosts?" Cassie said through giggles, collecting herself.

Sam and Dean both looked at each other.

 _Oh, right._

Sam nodded. "The main weapon used to combat with ghosts is anything made of pure iron."

Cassie tilted her head back in contemplation, trying to picture Dean and Sam fighting ghosts with two irons in each hand, and giggled.

Sam raised his eyebrow. "What?"

She shook her head, "Nothing." She looked out the window, feigned innocence on her face.

Sam wasn't buying it though. "You know, I went to law school."

She made eye contact with him again and rested her chin on her fist. "Really? How intriguing."

Sam gazed into her eyes, locking them with his. "Mhm. Which means I was trained to know when someone is lying."

She blushed, her facade dissolving at the sight of those intense brown eyes. "I-I got an image of you and Dean hitting clouds of smoke with irons."

There was a pause, and then Sam smiled. "Um…okay that's…different." _God she's so adorable I just want…_

Nope, today he was wearing jeans too tight to be thinking about those kinds of things.

Her eyes suddenly went wide. "Hey wait, if iron hurts them then why don't you get rings made of pure iron and wear them on your fingers? That way you can punch ghosts!"

Sam and Dean shared a look, and in that look was a conversation.

 _Is that a good idea?_

 _It_ _ **sounds**_ _like a good idea._

 _Would that actually_ _ **work**_ _?_

 _Theoretically, it sounds like it_ _ **should**_ _._

 _Holy shit, why didn't we think of that?  
_

 _Yeah, that'd be pretty cool…fist fighting ghosts?_

 _Sweet! Dude we should totally –_

"Do you guys need a room or something?"

Cassie's voice broke them out of their reverie and they both scrunched their faces at her. Dean simply said, "We were talking."

Cassie smirked. "Mhm. So how far away are we?"

Dean took a deep breath. "Uuuuhbooout twenty six more hours."

Cassie pumped her fist in the air in mock celebration. "Woohoo."

"How do you feel about going home?"

Cassie was suddenly quiet.

 _Shit._ Dean didn't mean to –

"Nervous," she admitted. "I mean, I have a lot of good memories, but it's also where my father is buried. Plus as far as everyone knows, I'm "Missing." I'm mostly worried about going through Vermont."

Oh, that's right. They have to drive through to get to Maine.

"If anyone recognizes me, I don't know what could happen. I'm legally an adult now, so the police couldn't force me to go home to my adoptive family, but still… I don't want to cause them any more heart ache than I already have."

Sam and Dean looked at each other again.

Cassie's words reminded Sam of Lisa and Ben, and how Dean gave up a life with them so they could live their lives in peace. Sam knew that Dean remembered them, too.

Cassie basically did the same thing. Disappeared out of her family's life so they could be happy.

"They probably miss you," Dean countered.

Cassie shook her head. "I was only with them for a year, and at least they're safe. When the incident happened at the Concert Hall…I didn't know what I was. I thought I was dangerous to everyone I loved. So I left as far away as I could go. Every once in a while I found a place that was safe and low-key, but if someone grew an interest in me or tried to inquire as to who I was and where I was from, I left."

Sam tried to be uplifting. "Well, I mean that was six years ago, right? Maybe your family isn't even in Vermont anymore."

Cassie pondered over her two step-siblings. "Well, David was older than me by about a year…he probably graduated from college by now, I know he got accepted somewhere…Elyse might've married that boyfriend of hers she had in high school, she was younger than me by three months…"

Honestly, they could be anywhere, and she could be stressing over nothing.

Except Cassandra's intuition had never once in her life been wrong.

And she felt like something was coming.

She was going to run into someone, and it was going to blow up in her face.

Dean intercepted back into the conversation. "Look, Cassie…whether they were adoptive family, blood family, whatever kind they were…no matter how long you were in their lives, if they are your true family, then they think about you all the time."

Sam nodded. "Dean and I have done same crazy things to keep each other alive, and…some even crazier things to bring each other _back_ to being alive. If Dean and I weren't blood, we'd still be family because of all the things we've done over the years."

Dean grew serious. "Has it been easy? No. Did we always get along? Hell no. But no matter what kinda crap we were dealing with or putting each other through, it didn't matter. Because through thick and thin, we're brothers."

Cassie looked at the two men with a new-found admiration, smiling. "That's how dad and I were, before he passed."

Sam smiled gently at her. "I guarantee you that David and Elyse probably worry about how you are and what you're doing every day, like Dean and I worry about each other."

"Well jeez, don't go all mushy on her, this is kinda heavy for nine in the morning."

Cassie laughed. "No, it's reassuring. I'm glad we can all express our _feelings_ and how much we _love_ each other – "

" – Okay okay I get it, cool it with the mushy stuff," Dean said, the top of his cheeks red. "Ugh. Weren't we talking about how to gank monsters?"

Sam and Cassie both grinned and then the two Winchester boys gave her a crash-course on how to deal with the basics. Ghosts, Demons, demon traps, exorcising, weapons, werewolves, vampires, and how to identify other hunters.

Eventually they all fell into a comfortable silence, and grew consumed with their own thoughts.

Dean (though he tried not to) wondered about Castiel. How he was doing, if he'd found anything on Metatron, and wondering what to do about the…incident.

Sam thought about the future, and Cassie. How she fit into his life. How she _could_ fit into his life.

And then Sam was struck with an idea.

In another week it would be December, and the boys didn't normally celebrate Christmas (they weren't even Christian) but maybe this year they could make an exception.

Sam couldn't imagine asking Cassie to get a tattoo for demon protection and mar that beautiful, pale soft skin…

But he could do the next best thing.

* * *

They had to stop in the middle of Iowa for bathroom breaks, a food run and gas. By then it was two in the afternoon and they were all starving.

"A burger sounds amazing right now," Dean said.

Cassie grinned. "I'm always up for strawberry pancakes."

Sam stood right next to Cassie and gave Dean a look.

Dean gestured his arm at Sam, "And uh, Larry the Cucumber prob'ly wants a salad, so let's hit a diner. It's the only place you can get all three."

"But the downside is we'd have to wait for our food and I'm st – " Sam was going to say starving, but he glanced at Cassandra, who had a serene expression on her face.

No. _She_ had been starving. He wasn't.

"Diner sounds great," Sam said.

"Awesome. Let's head out."

* * *

They found a cute little diner called Paula's Place and along the way Sam picked up a newspaper to look for anything that might be in their department of weird.

They all ordered their usual after they found a table secluded from everyone else. Sam took the chair next to Cassie.

He tried not to look at her too much because she looked _really_ really nice in her new clothes. He remembered looking through the racks of clothes in the women's section of a local consignment store, wondering what kind of clothes she wore, and even though it made him feel a bit guilty, he conjured from his memory what he used to get for Jess to aid him.

 _I shouldn't feel guilty, though_ , he told himself. Jess and Cassie were nothing alike.

Jess had been sweet and smart, but she had never been through any hardship. Her parents could afford her attendance at Stanford, she was very privileged and never wanted for anything, but at the same time she didn't hold it over anyone's head or use it to make anyone feel like they were less than she was.

She was calm, confident, sure of who she was, what she was going to be, and how she felt about Sam.

But Cassie…she was the complete opposite.

She had the rug pulled out from under her when her father died, and then after the accident in Vermont she left her loving adoptive family to protect them and struggled through life ever since.

Until now.

And although she seemed sure of herself and was even sassy enough to stand up to Dean at times, she was also very shy, and had never been in a relationship before.

And when it was just her and Sam alone together, she didn't seem sure of herself at all.

Sam blushed as he recalled what Cassie had been like when he snuck into her room to give her the clothes and coffee.

* * *

 _He soundlessly opened the door and pre-folded the clothes so taking them out of the plastic bags wouldn't make any noise. As Sam was placing the coffee maker and other paraphernalia on her desk, he noticed that Cassie was tossing and turning in her bed._

 _Sam immediately tensed, ready to shake her and wake her up if she was having a bad dream, but she was…_

 _Moaning._

 _For a moment all Sam could do was stare. Even in the dark, he could see her lithe form restlessly squirming in bed._

 _He needed to leave. He had to. He felt awful and perverted and invasive but he just couldn't stop staring._

 _But Sam wondered…what was making her –_

" _S-Sam p-lease," she whined, and at that moment he couldn't move if he wanted to._

 _ **She knows I'm in here?**_ _But he quickly realized she must be…dreaming._

 _She shivered and was gasping, "H-help," Sam didn't even dare breathe, "I d-don't know w-what t-to do."_

 _ **Oh my God**_ _. She was dreaming about him._

 _Like_ _ **that.**_

 _For some reason hearing Cassandra's voice go high pitched and sound all needy and breathless, begging for him and saying Sam's name instantly aroused him. He wondered what they were doing in her dream. Was she…_

" _Ahh!" She suddenly moaned out loud, her head thrown back in ecstasy and her hips lifted into the air, like she was-_

 _Sam immediately ran out of the room and closed the door._

 _His hands were shaking, he was sweating and his breathing was erratic._

 _He wanted to wake her up. He wanted to get into her bed and help her with whatever probably she had because now he had a problem of his own and he had no idea how he was so turned on so quickly but Jesus Christ._

 _ **God, this woman is going to be the death of me.**_

* * *

"Sam?" Dean had an odd look on his face as if to say _, just wanted to see if you're on the same planet as the rest of us. You know, the shitty one with all the green and blue on it._

He snapped his head up. "Yeah."

Dean rolled his eyes. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

Cassie blushed and smiled, looking back at her water with lemon and took another sip.

"S-sorry, I guess I just zoned out or whatever. I'm probably just tired."

But Dean knew better. "Mhm." _Having dirty fantasies about a virgin_. Dean couldn't even _remember_ the last time he'd had sex with a virgin.

Then again he couldn't remember the last time he'd had sex.

 _That_ was new. "Well, I was _saying_ that Cassie might be on to something."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

Dean groaned. "Seriously? Okay, look. See? She was looking through the paper you picked up."

Dean shoved it in his hands and Sam met his glare with a stare of annoyance, but then looked at the article.

He read aloud, "Two Caucasian males went missing from Fort Dodge, Iowa. Osborne Brummie and Michael S. Butler were last seen on Friday, November 21st." They had been neighbors who lived next to each other. Neither one of them had been married, and they hadn't been living there long, only a few months. Sam skimmed the rest of the article and shrugged. "It sounds like a regular missing persons' report."

"But it's not," Cassie piped up. "Look at the names of the two guys."

He did. _Osborne Brummie and Michael S. Butler_.

"I figured it out when I saw that one of the guy's last names was Brummie. That's a nickname for someone who was born and grew up in Birmingham, England which is also the hometown of Ozzie Osborne from _Black Sabbath_."

 _Oh my god_. He looked up at Dean, winceing as he saw the excited expression on his face that he'd been expecting.

"Oh, shut up and let me have this! I'm not used to having someone around who knows music like I do!"

Sam sighed. "Okay, what about the other guy?"

Cassie pointed at the second name. "Michael S. Or Michaels. Which is the last name of the lead guitarist and singer from _Poison,_ Bret Michaels."

Sam looked at her. "And his hometown?"

Dean nodded and smirked. "Butler, Pennsylvania."

Cassie looked at them both. "They're aliases."

Sam sat back. _Huh._ He was impressed.

Dean shot him a look as if to say, _I know, right? I'm dorking out so hard!_

Sam rolled his eyes but re-read the article.

Dean crossed his arms and backed her up. "There wasn't any sign of forced entry, all of the lights were left on in the house, and neither of them owned cars. They also disappeared at exactly the same time."

That _did_ sound a bit strange. "So, we might have a case."

"It could just be two guys renting houses to house meth labs and the cops were on their tails so they scrammed but it's odd that they don't own cars and that they have aliases. Especially such cool ones."

That reminded Cassie of all the FBI badges in the glove box with fake aliases.

"Could they have been other hunters?" She asked.

Dean shook his head. "They wouldn't've moved into a suburban neighborhood and they _definitely_ would've had vehicles. I think we have ourselves a case."

Sam looked over at Cassie. "I know we said that if something came up we'd take care of it, but I think you should be the one to decide…is it okay if we take this? Fort Dodge is a bit out of the way from Sanford…"

Their food arrived, and Dean grabbed the plate of strawberry pancakes from the waitress and placed it in front of Cassie, then grabbed some ketchup for when she put his plate down, and Sam got his Caesar salad.

After she left, they both looked at Cassie.

She took a deep breath. "I need the practice, right?"

Dean grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that."


	17. Chapter 17: Duo

**Author's Note: Just a quick Warning. I changed the rating for this story to Mature because I DO plan on writing a few sex scenes in the future. You kind of get a taste of it in this chapter, so just remember you were warned!**

 **-XeroSanity x**

Chapter 17

Duo

When night fell, Dean drove up to the address of the house. It didn't take long for the image of the houses in the paper to be cross-referenced on Sam's laptop with houses in Fort Dodge to find a match. Everyone was asleep in the neighborhood as Dean pulled in, and they were silent and stealthy getting out of the car and going up to one of the houses.

It looked completely ordinary, except for one thing. Sam peeked in through the window. "There's no furniture." The living room had a wooden floor and it was bare. No couches, bookshelves, TV stands, tables, chairs or anything that resembled belongings.

Dean got his lock picking set out of his pocket and set to work.

Cassie stared wide-eyed at him. "Dean, um…shouldn't we try the back door? This is kind of conspicuous."

Dean didn't look away from what he was doing. _It's funny that she's not questioning why we're breaking into a house, but the fact we're using the front door_. "It's fine. Everyone is asleep, and anyway it would look sketchier if a person were trying to get in through the back door. I could've just got locked out of my house."

 _Oh_. Cassie crossed her arms over herself, shivering. It was cold.

Sam stood close to her, his eyes darting around.

Cassie watched them. _So Sam is the scout, and Dean picks the lock to get in. Since Sam is keeping watch, Dean doesn't have to look over his shoulder and away from what he's doing. Smart._

Eventually there was a click and the door opened.

 _Wow,_ she thought. Was she going to learn how to do that?

 _I thought you didn't want to kill anything for real, remember?_ A voice from within mocked.

It was a jolt inside her, and she mentally lashed at it with defiance. _Fuck you._

The hunter-thing daunted her at first, but she would try it. She could learn.

Dean motioned with his neck to follow him, and she stepped forward.

Cassie followed him inside first, then Sam.

The house was bare and all of the lights were off.

And then the door closed behind them.

All three of them flipped around. Sam and Dean had their guns out before they'd turned around and Cassie hid behind Sam.

"Hello, Boys."

They all turned around again and saw a man of shorter stature all in black, playing with a red colored flower between his fingers.

Crowley.

"Crowley," Cassie said gently, peeking out from behind Sam.

Crowley looked at Cassie with wonder. "Lizzie? Are you a reoccurring role in this – "

"What do you want, Crowley?" Dean said, lowering his gun but never putting it away.

"I'm still waiting on that information about the First Blade, and the clock's a ticking." Crowley pointed at his wrist.

"It hasn't even been twenty four hours since I – "

"- Ah, yes. Good times. But see, I may have stuck around a bit longer than you thought. And I may have seen something."

Dean froze _. There's no fucking way. There's no way in hell_.

Crowley could not know about him and Cas. Ever.

Sam suddenly got a puzzled expression on his face. "Dean?"

Cassie had the feeling inside her again. Something happened. But what?

"There was nothing to see," Dean said, his face suddenly feigning an expression of calm and collectedness. "So, the two guys who went missing?"

Crowley smirked. "Meth lab operators. They were going to end up in hell anyway, I just sped up the process to get your attention."

Sam looked between Crowley and Dean. "Seriously?"

"He wouldn't take any of my calls!" Crowley exclaimed in a hurt tone.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Wait, were you that California number that kept calling me?"

Crowley got an "Oh" expression on his face. "Right, I forgot, I got a new number. I knew you wouldn't ignore me on purpose." He winked.

Cassie stepped forward, walking towards Crowley. "What about the fake names?"

He looked over at her. "I knew Squirrel over here would pick up on it. He has a soft spot for bands who weren't shy about body hair."

"Actually she's the one who picked up on it first," Dean said.

He looked to Dean, then back at Cassie. "Interesting. A woman after your own heart, hm? You and I must meet for tea sometime, Darling, so we can get properly acquainted."

Crowley was confusing. Sam and Dean were acting like he was a threat, but he was so… _charming_. He reminded her of a combination of Fagin from Oliver Twist and The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. British, crazy, but suave and a bit flirtatious.

She couldn't help but smile.

Crowley raised his eyebrows. "A human that smiles at a Demon. Now, _that's_ not a person to be trifled with."

 _DEMON?_ Her eyes went wide.

Crowley grinned. " _There's_ the expression I was expecting." It was then that he finally got a good look at her.

She had curly dark brown hair.

The same color as Castiel's.

Striking Blue Eyes.

 _Also_ like Castiel's.

And he remembered that Sam called her Cassie.

"Who are you, by the way? I mean, today I'm here to pick up Squirrel for our date, but you and I should schedule an appointment as well. I have the feeling we have a lot to discuss." He stepped forward, his gaze piercing into Cassandra.

Cassie looked over at Sam. He shook his head.

Crowley grinned. "Apparently you're a top secret file. But that just makes you more interesting."

She blushed and took a step back.

The attention needed to be off of Cassie. "Why didn't you just pop in on us like you normally do instead of staging all this crap when there was a chance we wouldn't have even come here?" Sam asked.

Crowley shrugged. "I like to be spontaneous every once in a while. That's how you keep the flame going in a relationship, such as ours."

Sam scowled.

Dean re-sheathed his gun in his back pocket, and got his dad's journal out from inside his jacket. "So let's recap. You're looking for a weapon called the first blade that can supposedly kill knights of hell, right?"

Crowley nodded. "I can't lie, Dean. You actually cooperating is giving me tingly feelings in places."

Dean glared. "So, to be clear, _you_ want to hunt. With _me_?"

Crowley shot him a sly smile. "I do love a good, bloody comedy."

Sam shook his head. "He's lying."

Dean countered, "He's not. He said that Dad heard about it when he worked a case back in the day…" he was flipping through the pages, "Oh yeah, here it is." He held it up closer so he could read. Crowley walked forward so he could look at it alongside him.

"Yeah, he picked up a protégé, had bones with Abaddon but that's about all it says in here." He was about to close the book but then Crowley nudged him, and pointed.

"What do those numbers in the margins mean?"

Cassandra walked back over to stand next to Sam, watching the exchange.

He took his hand in hers.

"None of your business," Dean said.

Crowley scoffed. "You're gonna play hard to get? We have time for a montage?"

Dean sighed and finally gave in. "It's code. To one of my dad's storage lockers, he may have put something about the case in there.

"And what does the T next to the numbers mean?"

"Not a clue." He stowed the book back in his jacket.

Crowley threw his hands up. "Fine. Let's go find daddy's man cave then, shall we?"

Sam interjected. "No. You're not taking a demon to Dad's storage locker."

Dean took a deep breath. "Crowley might be on to something. If it was important enough that Dad wrote something about it in his journal – "

"–We can find another way to kill Abaddon. Right now we're in the middle of something _else_ that's important."

Dean nodded, thinking for a minute. "We are. Which is why we're gonna split up."

Sam couldn't believe it. "Are you freakin' kidding me?!"

"Sam this is not the first time we've had to work with the demon, and it probably won't be the last. It's not going to be long. We'll check Dad's locker, see if he left anything, if he didn't I'll meet you in Maine."

Crowley raised an eyebrow. "What's in Maine?"

Dean shook his head. "That's not up for discussion."

Crowley scoffed. "You boys can't keep me in the dark forever. I _live_ in the dark."

Dean threw Baby's keys to Sam. "Take her up to Maine. I'll meet you there. If plans change, I'll call."

Cassie ran up to Dean and hugged him. "Be careful."

Dean hugged her back with one arm and then stepped away. "Don't worry, Sweetheart. Just try to get to Maine before I do." He winked.

And Crowley and Dean were gone.

"Ass," Sam muttered.

Great. So they were in the middle of a house for no reason and they drove hours out of the way from where they were going for nothing. And now Dean was on a field trip with the King of hell, which meant Crowley would know the location of one of their dad's lockers.

On top of that, he'd been left alone with Cassie…

Sam shoved the thought down.

"Maybe we should do what he says," she said quietly. She gripped Sam's hand tighter and leaned against him.

Sam's resolve softened. He looked down at Cassie and realized how tired she must be.

"How long do you think it'll be?"

Sam sighed. "It's not the first time he's disappeared like this. Dean should be able to hold his own. Let's get back on the road."

* * *

They jumped from I-80 East to I-90 and Cassie took the passenger seat this time.

It was about midnight, and Cassie had passed out, laying her head on Sam's lap as he drove.

One of Sam's arms was resting protectively over her back and the other he used to drive with.

His heart thudded in his chest when he realized how right the whole situation felt. His arm over Cassie, her warmth against him and fast asleep as he watched over her.

After driving for the past few hours, Sam had reached a decision.

He definitely wanted Cassandra to be in his life, not just as a hunter with the Winchesters, or even as just a girlfriend.

He wanted her in his life. Period. And preferably as someone who he could spend the rest of it with, no matter how long he had left.

It was all a question of whether she wanted it or not.

It was a lot to take in, Sam knew that. The kind of life he led was still throwing him curve balls and the two boys were still coming into contact with forces they had no idea how to deal with.

It would be bad enough if they led the lives of regular hunters, but they did more than gank werewolves and exorcise demons; they were killing knights of hell, dealing with Demons and Angels on a daily basis.

Sam smiled to himself when he realized how much things had changed. It used to be that Dean was on the side of the Angels. Sam had been possessed by Lucifer, BFF's with Ruby and drinking demon blood while Dean rubbed elbows with Cas and he had been the vessel of choice for Michael, commander of Heaven's armies.

Now it was flip-flopped. Sam had an angel fast asleep in his lap and Dean was having a boys' night out with the King of Hell.

It might become too much for her to deal with. She'd been through so much already…

But he just couldn't shake the image of Cassie hunting alongside him. That fire that was inside her when they'd kissed…he knew there was a fierce determination in her and she had all the potential for it. She was sweet and innocent in so many ways but she was also strong.

Despite everything she'd been through, all the fighting and struggling she had to do to survive, it didn't make her bitter, or change her view of the world, and it hadn't corrupted her. She was still hopeful, open, and pure.

Cassie stirred and tilted her head up. "Sam," she said, a gravely-ness to her voice from being asleep.

Sam blushed, glad it was dark. His grip around her tightened just a smidge. "Hey," he said gently. _Did you sleep good, Babe?_

Cassie snuggled closer into him, taking his hand in both of hers. The watch on her wrist clinked against the button on Sam's coat cuff.

The gesture was so sweet Sam had to swallow something that had gotten caught in his throat. His fingers entwined with hers.

"I wanted to ask something," she said tiredly. "Am I really the first half Angel you guys have met?"

Sam looked back up at the road, thinking. "Not exactly. There was one other named Anna Milton. It was a little different, though. She disobeyed an order from Heaven, and when you're an Angel that's a punishment worthy of Death.

Cassie winced. "They sound really strict."

Sam scoffed. "You have no idea. So to avoid it, she took out her own Grace and she fell to earth and became human. She grew up as a normal human and forgot about her Angel life until she got her Grace back."

"Grace?" Cassie inquired.

Sam nodded. "An Angel's Grace is their soul. You have yours inside you, but it's weak. Our theory is that when you died, your Grace was extracted from your vessel and it was kept safe for a few thousand years. Then when Sarah Rose was a baby, your grace was planted inside her, and here you are."

"But why her and why then? Why not earlier?"

 _Exactly_. "Hopefully the Brontes' can tell us."

Cassie nodded, and closed her eyes again. "That explains a few things."

 _Huh?_ "Like what?"

She spoke softly with her eyes closed. "My dad told me that when I was born I had blonde hair and brown eyes, like my mother. But my hair changed to dark brown and my eyes turned blue as I got older. He thought it was odd because I didn't look like my parents. My dad had freckles all over, for instance, and my skin didn't have any at all. And he had sandy brown hair and hazel eyes. He actually wondered if maybe I was someone else's child, but at that point it wouldn't have made any difference. My mom had run off a few days after I was born to God knows where, so my father raised me."

Sam grew surprised with how alike their backgrounds were. Growing up not knowing their mothers, being raised by their fathers, and never quite fitting in with their families.

"They called me witch at my school because I had long dark hair and I was the only person in school with my eye color. And because…"

Sam waited, "What?"

She sighed. "During recess, animals would follow me around. Like birds and squirrels and stuff. And I could talk to them, and I understood them."

 _Whoa._ So her powers had been weakened but they weren't gone. "Do you hear them now?"

She frowned. "I stopped listening. I probably shouldn't have."

After that they fell once again into comfortable silence, and Cassie went back to sleep, not moving an inch away from Sam.

Once he had gotten through Illinois, the sky started to turn rainbow colored from the sun about to rise. Sam would've roused Cassie from sleep so she could see it, but she looked so peaceful he didn't have the heart.

He was starting to nod off as he was driving so he pulled over to the side of the road and turned the car off. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, sitting up, his arm still around Cassie, the other laid on his lap around her head.

After about forty minutes, Cassandra woke up, she stretched (as much as you could in the space of a car) and sat up. She smiled when she saw Sam asleep.

She took the rare opportunity to study his face.

He had a strong jaw, and a tense expression, even in sleep. He hadn't shaved in a few days so he had some light stubble across his cheeks. The ends of his hair caught the light of the sun and turned gold.

Cassie blushed when she realized she was staring. She shifted and moved so that she was almost sitting in Sam's lap, and leaned her head on his shoulder her faced burrowed into his neck.

He was warm as she snuggled her body against his chest underneath his jacket, and he smelled good. Like Sam and the Impala and that guy-bar soap-smell.

His eyes fluttered open and he immediately blushed crimson when he realized Cassie was sitting on his lap.

Cassie didn't move. She felt shy and her heart was beating fast like she got caught doing something wrong, but she just said quietly, "Good morning."

Sam wrapped an arm around her tentatively, not applying any pressure. "G-good m-morning," He replied. "I'm sorry I just pulled over for a bit to get some shut eye. We just made it into Indiana."

He was babbling _. Ugh._

They made eye contact at the same time and then it hit.

That same feeling of electric pulsing in both of them.

Cassie stopped breathing and heat immediately rose to her cheeks, her blue eyes glossy. She bit her bottom lip and took a shaky breath. "T-that's okay."

Sam, being an inch away from her face and seeing the display, was immediately wide awake and fatigue-free.

They weren't sure who closed the distance between them first, but Cassie reached for the back of Sam's neck and Sam held a hand out to cup Cassie's face and their mouths crashed together.

The heat between them in the air was tangible in the small, cramped space of the Impala. Sam's hand went up Cassie shirt and she cried out as the roughness of his fingertips made contact with her stomach.

The sound just spurred Sam on and his mouth traveled to her neck and behind her ear, planting a kiss there, trying to find her sensitive spots.

"Gahh!" Her hips bucked of their own accord against his waist and it ignited his arousal even more. He'd already been throbbing underneath his jeans from waking up but now he was so hard it hurt. His jeans might as well have been made of steel.

He needed her. _Now._

"S-Sam," she whined, her hand clawing into his shoulder under his shirt.

The feeling of her nails in his skin was torturously good. Sam hissed with pleasure at the sensation. _Oh God I like that. So. Much_.

Cassie could feel wetness pooling between her legs and the sounds Sam was making and the way he was reacting to her touch was driving her wild. _God, what he does to me._

She started shivering a little, and Sam felt it too. His hands went to the waist, cupping where her love handles would be and warming the spots her shirt didn't cover with his palms. The tip of his pinky finger accidentally slipped past her waistband and Sam was going to pull back but Cassie immediately cried. "P-p-please S-saam!" and her hips bucked again.

Sam was gasping for air, and he left his finger where it was. He suddenly had a thought. If Cassie had never had sex before or been kissed…

There's no way she's never…orgasmed before?

He had to know.

He pulled away a bit so they were facing each other. He said, short of breath, "Cassie, um…what have you done in the past? Sexually?"

She blushed more, not making eye contact. "Um…" and she didn't answer. She was breathing hard and it was a physical effort to stop herself from squirming.

"Have you ever had an orgasm?"

Cassie looked back at him with a blank stare.

No. There's no way in hell.

He had to think. She had to know what an orgasm _was_ at least.

Her education reached its extent in tenth grade.

So she knew what _sex_ was.

But then again high schools preached abstinence until marriage so the last thing a sex ed class was going to tell her was the joys of what an orgasm was like…

Could it really be possible that she didn't _know_?

Sam undid the top button of her jeans but slowly and while looking at her. He stopped and then said almost inaudibly, "Do you want me to show you?"

She gasped at his words and shuddered, immediately feeling shy. But then she recalled her dream, and how careful Sam had been with her. How much pleasure she felt from just one touch in the right place…

"Y-y-you mean sex?" She asked quietly.

Sam shook his head. "No. Cassie…" He took a deep breath, cleared his head a little, and then went on. "You're very special to me. And I want to be with you. In a relationship."

Cassie stopped breathing at his words, and her hand immediately went to his, hugging it to her chest.

He smiled, her reaction encouraging him to continue. "And I'm not going to have our first time doing something like that in a car in broad daylight on the side of a highway. It's going to be better than that."

She breathed out. _Oh, I hadn't thought about that_. She blushed.

But then when she made eye contact with Sam again, his eyes had suddenly turned dark and…

 _Seductive._

She'd never seen him like this before. Sam was always so soft and careful and gentle. Sometimes even shy and nervous.

But there was no trace of shyness or awkwardness at all. He was a man of confidence. In charge, and dominating. His gaze was intense to the point Cassie felt she was going to catch fire.

"That being said…we aren't going to have sex. Not here, not now." His smile held the promise of something mysterious and…forbidden. "But I can sure as hell make you orgasm."


	18. Chapter 18: Promise

Chapter 18

Promise

Suddenly Cassie was laying down on the seat of the Impala. Sam's hands went up from her hips to cradle her as he kissed her.

Her heart was beating a million miles a minute, and her whole body was shaking with adrenaline. She had no idea what he was going to do to her but somehow she knew she would like it.

A lot.

Sam's kisses went from planting gentle pecks on her lips to down her neck to her collar bone, and his hands were starting to undo the zipper on her jeans. "If you want me to stop anything, say so and I will, okay?" His voice was back to being sweet and gentle Sam.

Heat rose to her cheeks so they were pink and flushed, and she was breathing hard, but she wasn't scared. "I will," she said breathlessly, her hips already tilted up towards him.

He smiled against her skin, and suddenly she could feel his hand on her thigh.

 _Oh my God_. She gasped. She'd never been touched there before by… _anyone._

The roughness of his hand felt good on her soft skin.

It was so intimate it almost made her feel awkward, but she knew that Sam would never hurt her.

"Have you ever been touched like this?" Sam whispered. He rubbed his hand up and down her thigh, trying to sooth some of her shaking and get her used to being touched.

With a shaky breath, she exhaled, "No, n-never," and shook her head.

"How is that possible?" He asked, looking into her eyes, not believing.

The woman underneath him was stunning. She had a creamy complexion that was flawless. Her lips were full and soft, bright pink from being kissed, her eyes shining like the surface of a flowing river on a sunny day. Her hair cascaded in waves across the black leather of the seat, some of the strands looking blue and brown in the sun.

 _How the hell has no one wanted to kiss you? You're gorgeous._

And more than that. On the inside she was beautiful too.

Loving, trusting, caring, funny, smart, strong…

"I don't understand," he said again.

She looked back up at him.

She realized that his eyes weren't brown at all. They were hazel.

A golden caramel with tints of green and blue.

"There were guys interested in me but I…I didn't feel…the way I do now…about them. W-what I feel…about you."

Her words changed Sam's intentions.

This wasn't going to be just a hot and heavy encounter in a car.

Sam wanted her to realize how much he wanted her to be with him.

He wanted to make her feel special, wanted, needed…

 _Loved._

His mouth descended onto hers again, but this time his kisses were extremely sweet.

Slow and soft, nuzzling the tip of his nose gently against hers.

Cassie noticed the difference. _Oh, Sam_ …

And then she felt him… _there._

She cried out but Sam muffled the sound by kissing her.

One of his fingers had slipped down the hem of her underwear and he was rubbing her.

There.

In circles.

Over and over and over relentlessly.

She couldn't think anymore. All of the pleasure and craving and neediness she felt were all concentrated in this one spot on her body and Sam was just aggravating it.

Over.

And Over.

And Over.

Sam couldn't believe how wet she was even before he'd touched her, but he wanted her to feel this. Someone so sweet, so kind, so beautiful and loving and gorgeous _deserved_ pleasure like this. There was no teasing, no delayed gratification or roughness, just touches that Sam knew would satisfy her.

She couldn't even talk anymore, but Sam was sure as hell going to. "It pisses me off that no guy has ever done this for you," his voice was soft but inside he was mad.

She moaned softly at his words, loving what he was doing. His left hand underneath her underwear, applying just the right amount of pressure, his right cradling her head, his quiet, sweet words and how tender he was being.

Every. Single. Thing. Was. Driving. Her. Crazy.

Suddenly his finger was moving faster and she groaned, not believing that such a sound could have come from within her. _What's he doing to me?_

"That no guy," he planted a kiss behind her ear, "Has ever been able to make you feel like this." Deep down he was happy that he was the only one, but at the same time it was frustrating. He couldn't imagine how deprived she'd been. "I mean…it's..." He thrusted one finger gently but quickly inside her and she gasped. "Just…" he moved back out, "So..." He thrusted in again and she cried out, her hips moving of their own accord against his hand. "Easy."

And then she felt something building, and it was happening fast and it was going to hit her hard.

"S-sah – " she was breathing erratically and suddenly she couldn't control anything at all.

Not her body, her vocal chords, nothing.

Sam knew she was close. He was still only using one finger but he picked up his pace, continuing to plant kisses all over her cheeks and neck.

He didn't anticipate how quick she'd get to that point but her whole body went stiff underneath him and she whimpered with how intense it was.

It was this rush of pleasure and heat and finality that started at her core and then quickly ran through the rest of her body and it made her clench her teeth it was so intense.

"Shhh, I know, Baby…" He planted a kiss on her forehead. It was the first time he'd called her that out loud, and he didn't mean it as derogatory.

Dean called his car Baby because it was the thing in his life that mattered most to him besides Sam. This car was literally they're lives. Dean washed Baby, fixed her from the ground up over and over again and never gave up on his car.

They wouldn't be who they were without it.

Sam needed Cassie in the same way.

And he'd be damned sure to look after her in that same way, too.

At that moment there was a knock on the window of the Impala.

 _What the hell?_

They both jumped and turned around.

It was a cop.

Sam quickly took a blanket from the back seat and threw it over Cassie's lower half so she'd feel less embarrassed and then rolled down the window. "Good morning, Officer."

He had his arms crossed. "Are you familiar with the term indecent exposure?"

Sam's mouth went into a hard line. "Yes, I am. It states that if a person or persons shows their genitalia or exposes their nudity in public it is referred to as indecent and depending on the Class of Misdemeanor it can be punishable by 60 days of incarceration and a $500 fine or at the most severe 2.5 years in a federal correctional facility and a $10,000 fine."

The cop was taken aback for a moment, not expecting such an intelligent answer. "Well…exactly. So can you explain why, if you're so knowledgeable on the subject, you still deemed it fit to finger-bang a chick in your car on the side of a public road?"

 _Fuck this bastard._ "Well, as you can see Officer, none of us are nude or showing our genitalia in public. You're the first car that we've seen and we've been sitting here for the past hour. And this woman is not a _chick_. She's my girlfriend, and I would appreciate it, _Officer,_ if you regarded her with the same respect that I am showing you."

Her heart fluttered at that magic word.

 _Girlfriend._

Cassie couldn't believe it. Her body felt completely relaxed and calm, being that it was still stuck in after-glow mode but she was still shocked at how calm and authoritative Sam was being towards a policeman.

And he called her his…

The cop sighed. "License and Registration, please."

Sam went into the glove box and quickly pulled out a random piece of paper and a small black billfold, handing them out the window.

The cop's eyes went wide when he saw the FBI badge and matching registration. "Y-you're an FBI agent?"

"Yes, I am." Sam shot him a look as if to say _**now,**_ _do you realize what deep shit you're in?_

Cassie had to bite the inside of her cheek so she didn't laugh.

Then Sam glanced at the bulge of something in his pocket that was square-shaped. "Is that a flask in your pocket, by the way? It wouldn't happen to contain alcohol, would it? Because – "

"– There are exceptions to laws about drinking for police officers, as you are well aware of, _Agent,"_ the cop suddenly snapped.

Sam nodded his head. "Well, yes, I am. So I know that those laws only apply in Denver, Colorado and none of them permit drinking on the job. So tell me why it is you're standing here and we're still having this conversation? Because frankly, the things I do on a daily basis and the information you're asking from me is above your pay grade, _Sir."_

The cop swallowed and looked at the FBI badge again, then handed it back to Sam.

"I understand that Sundays are slow for cops such as yourself and you have quotas to meet but I think you and I both know that reporting something like this would just make you look like more of a joke."

 _Son of a bitch, he wasn't showing any mercy._ Cassie froze.

By this point the cop was red in the face and said, "Carry on then, Agent. Have a nice rest of your day." He stomped off back to his car and then drove away.

The second he pulled away Cassie giggled. "Oh my God. How the hell did you know all that stuff?"

Sam turned the car back and then started driving again. "I _did_ want to become a lawyer at some point. Plus Dean and I have had to pretend we were FBI hundreds of times before, we're used to it by now. We actually have a lot of decent friends who are cops, but that one guy was an Asshole."

Cassie couldn't stop grinning. She pulled her pants back up and di the button and zipper. "Well...that was really cool."

Sam sighed with stress. "Not to me. The fact that whole thing happened was my fault. I should've had more self-control and if I hadn't parked to sleep – "

" – Sam!" Cassie countered. "You've been driving all night."

"Yeah. I don't know how Dean does it. He's usually the one who drives."

Cassie blushed. "Also…Um…that was...amazing."

Sam looked over at her with soft eyes. "I meant everything I said." He kept his eyes on the road but he chewed at his lip.

Cassie learned it was a sign he was stressed.

She curled up next to him as he drove and laid her head on his shoulder. Sam took a deep breath and then spoke. "I…I don't know what it is, but I've never felt this way about a woman before. It's more than attraction it's this… _need_ to be with you." Sam glanced down at her and saw she was listening. "I have a reputation for falling for girls hard and fast and crashing and burning but with you…it's not just…" he didn't even know how to explain it.

She cuddled into his arm. She was trying to process everything. How intimate she had just been with Sam, how protective he was of her, calling her his girlfriend, and what he was saying now.

"I mean, you're just incredible. You really are, Cassie. You've been thrown into this world of monsters and demons and hunting and you're taking it all in stride. I'm just afraid…that after getting so attached to you, I'm going to lose you."

After that last admittance, he fixed his eyes on the road and didn't speak.

Cassie sighed. "Sam, you're not going to lose me." A thought occurred to her as she glanced down at her watch. "Dean told me what the Enochian on my watch said."

 _WHAT?_ "I'm going to kill that – "

" – So you knew what it said too, but you didn't tell me?" She said quietly, but her tone didn't contain anger.

Sam stiffened anyway, not saying anything.

"I don't want to know details."

 _Huh?_ "Why not?"

She took a deep breath. "He said that it was a spell to activate my Grace, but there was a chance it could kill me. So I said that I didn't need to know it."

 _Oh._ Sam didn't expect that. She knew that there was a chance she could regain all of her lost memories with her brother, being a warrior of Heaven, but she was choosing _not_ to?

And Dean apparently hadn't told her everything. Like how she'd have to battle Sarah Rose's soul for possession of her body.

"It's not worth it to me because I want a life with you. I've lived as a human so far, and I've done just fine. It led me to you."

Sam wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. _Cassie…_

"So no matter what the Brontes have to say, about me and my past, I'm choosing to stay human, and stay with you. You're not going to lose me because I'm not going to provide the chance of it happening."

Sam breathed out a sigh of relief.

"And I'm not angry. I know why you didn't want to tell me. You were afraid I'd attempt the spell. You were protecting me."

One of the best things about Cassie is she somehow knew things without you having to say them.

"Are you sure, Cassie? I mean, that's thousands of years of memories lost to you."

There was no contemplating or hesitation. She nodded. "Yes."

That one word was so filled with finality, firmness and confidence that it became a promise.

A promise to Sam.

* * *

After four more hours of driving, the two were both starving and Sam was about to pass out so he rented them a motel room and gave Cassie his cellphone so she could order takeout while he lugged in all their gear.

After all their bags were in he collapsed onto his bed and instantly fell asleep.

Cassie giggled at how cute he was. He hadn't even bothered to take his shoes off.

After she called for Chinese and told them the address of the motel as quietly as possible, she walked over to Sam and gingerly unlaced his boots, then got them off his feet. She then did her best to get his coat off, and put a blanket over him.

She wasn't going to try getting his other clothes off because she knew that would probably lead to another incident like the one in the car…

 _Oh goodness, if Dean knew he'd probably kill us._

At that moment Sam's phone started vibrating and she jumped.

The Caller I.D. read Dean.

"Of course," she couldn't help but say out loud and answered. "Hey, it's Cassie."

"Oh hey, Sweetheart. How's Team Helsing holdin' up?"

Cassie giggled. "We're both good. We're in Cleveland and Sam couldn't drive anymore so he got us a motel room. I'm waiting for takeout and he's sleeping."

"Is he taking good care a' ya?"

She blushed and instead of a witty comeback or an overly zealous remark of reassurance, she simply mumbled, "Mhm."

There was a pause. "What did you do."

"Dean!" She whispered harshly.

"He couldn't even make it to Maine, huh?"

Cassie giggled. "Dean, stop."

Dean laughed. "I'm just messin' with you. You're both adults, and you're obviously crazy about each other, so just be safe about it, okay? Tell Sam when he wakes up that Crowley and I found somethin'. We're gonna be in Missouri."

"Okay, no problem. I'm glad you're doing okay. How's Crowley?"

Dean scoffed. "Why do you wanna know how _he's_ doing? Who cares?" There was suddenly a voice in the background. _Aww, is Moose worried about me?_

Cassie couldn't help but laugh at the sound of the now familiar British accent. "Tell him I said hi."

"Hell no. Stuff your face and stay indoors. No tea parties with demons."

 _Oh, it's Lizzie! Let me talk to_ – And then the phone beeped, signaling the end of the call.

She grinned. _Okay. Dean and Crowley found something, and they're in Missouri. I can remember that._

A few minutes later the food came and she discreetly and quietly got it and paid the guy, closing the door.

After eating a few egg rolls and tsao chicken, she decided she needed a shower.

She spent a long time in there, humming _Smoke on the Water_. She replayed the past few days in her head remembering all the events and trying to make sense of it all. Teleporting demons, breaking into a house, driving across the country, and all of the training from Sam and Dean. And most of all…what happened in the car with Sam.

She'd never felt anything like that before, and that wasn't even _sex._ Sam's words kept replaying in her mind.

 _It pisses me off that no guy has ever done this for you._

 _That no guy has ever been able to make you feel like this._

" _I mean its… just…so…easy."_ Cassie's insides clenched at the memory of Sam's thrusts with every word.

 _I…I don't know what it is, but I've never felt this way about a woman before. It's more than attraction it's this…need to be with you._

 _I mean, you're just incredible. You really are, Cassie. You've been thrown into this world of monsters and demons and hunting and you're taking it all in stride. I'm just afraid…that after getting so attached to you, I'm going to lose you._

After getting dressed into the white flowy top and stone-washed jeans that Sam got for her, she brushed her teeth and combed her hair out, ruffling it from her scalp with her fingers.

After getting out of the bathroom Cassie dimmed the lights so it wouldn't bother Sam and closed the blinds. Then she remembered…

She grabbed a container of salt from one of the gear bags and she sprinkled it along the door crack and their window, not forgetting the bathroom.

Then she logged onto the computer that the motel provided and checked google maps to see how much longer they had before they would get to Sanford.

 _11 hours._

It was four in the afternoon, Sam would probably sleep for another four hours and then they'd have back on the road at around 8…so if they drove straight through they should be in Sanford by seven tomorrow morning.

And Cassie still couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. They dodged a bullet (no pun intended) with the cop in Indiana but that wasn't it.

Something just didn't feel right. The air was still and everything was quiet almost as if it was the quiet before a storm.

She looked over at Sam, so peaceful, sleeping on his stomach, sprawled across his bed and snoring.

 _I'm just afraid…that after getting so attached to you, I'm going to lose you…_

She took a deep breath, full of anxiety, and as if to reassure herself more than him, she repeated, "You're not going to lose me. I promise."


	19. Chapter 19: Amarandos

**Hey! I created a DeviantArt page to house art for this fanfiction :D Because A lovely acquaintance of mine requested that she be allowed to create fan art, I decided to take that opportunity to post my own and if you want to see her and my work and maybe even submit some of your own, go to Deviant Art's website and type in the username TheHeartofAnAngel and the account will pop up. If anyone wants to submit art of their own, you can private message me and send in entries for deliberation :3**

Chapter 19

Amarandos

Sam woke up at around 8:30 and realized how… _cozy_ he was. He stretched and rubbed his eyes. Looking down at himself, he realized he had a blanket over him and his shoes were off. And his coat had been hung up on one of the chairs by the table.

 _Did I do that?_

But then he smiled to himself when he saw the lithe form of Cassie, sound asleep on the bed next to his.

Sam knew it had been her. It tugged at his heart that she doted on him with such care. _I'm not going to get used to it though, it's not something she has to do._ He got up out of bed and laced his shoes back on, going to the bathroom quick and taking a minute to brush his teeth.

He kept the bathroom door open so he could keep an eye on her, but then he glanced at their window.

 _Salt?_

There was a neat line of the white substance that went along the window sill.

He glanced at the window in the bathroom, and noticed it was there too.

 _Wow. She's a fast learner._

Sam felt himself swelling with pride. She was adapting so well even though so much was being thrown at her so quickly…

Like what happened in the car.

 _Dammit_. He had _not_ wanted their first experience being intimate with each other to be in Dean's car on the side of some random high way. It wasn't supposed to go down like that, but he _obviously_ lacked self-control because he _apparently_ happened to be _fifteen_ –

Sam froze with the toothbrush in his mouth when out of the corner of his eye he saw Cassie toss in bed.

She was wearing her new clothes, the white top he'd given her and one of the new pairs of jeans, and of course her watch clinked on her wrist as always.

But she looked distressed as she turned around.

He quickly rinsed and wiped his mouth with a towel.

"I can," she said in her sleep. Her brows were knitted together in defiance, like she was mad. "I'm not…Sarah…I'm not…no! No!"

Sam immediately rushed over and gently shook her. "Babe! Hey! Cassie, wake up…"

She gasped and her eyes opened wide. She sat up into Sam's arms.

She was shaking.

 _What's wrong, beautiful?_ He gently stroked some hair out of her face. "You were having a bad dream."

She leaned into Sam's warmth. "Sam," she said quietly, getting her bearings again.

 _I am Cassandra Hope._

 _I am twenty two._

 _I'm…I'm in Cleveland, Ohio._

 _With Sam._

Her breathing became even again, and she looked up at him. "I've had a dream like that before, but it was never that intense," she admitted.

Sam sat on the edge of her bed. "What happens in the dream?"

Cassie sat up in a pretzel, clinging to her pillow. "It was a flashback from when I was a kid." She frowned like she was disappointed with herself from being effected by something so trivial. "I was in elementary school and a bunch of kids kept chanting "Sarah" at me but it was quiet like they were whispering."

 _Sarah, Saaaraaahh, Sarah, Sarah…_

She flinched. "And whenever I walked past someone they'd call me Sarah. But the whispering got louder and louder and then I get pushed to the ground and sent to the principal's office because of the attitude I was showing my teacher."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Attitude?"

She sighed. "I politely asked her to change my name on the attendance sheet from Sarah to Cassandra, but she _didn't_ obviously because a seven year old wanting to be called a different name seemed unimportant. So whenever she called my name for attendance I didn't answer. She marked me absent for two months straight even though she knew I didn't miss one day of school, and all because I refused to be called Sarah."

"That must've been rough," Sam said gently, taking her hand in his.

She let out a deep breath and shook her head as if to clear it from her negative thoughts. She looked around and then blushed when she realized the state of her surroundings.

And a small, nagging thought appeared in her mind.

 _How come Sam got a room with two beds instead of one? But he called me girlfriend…_

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She couldn't meet his eyes, and she brushed herself off, getting up out of bed and walking over to the chair with Sam's coat to sit down and lace up her boots.

The feeling of her hand slipping out from his was unsettling. He didn't like it. The absence of her warmth was a physical entity. "Cassie, talk to me. Was it the dream?" He stood up.

Her face went red and she said, "It's nothing."

Sam blinked. He took a good look at her.

A woman who avoided eye contact, was acting awkward and distant, but not mad, refusing to talk about what was bothering her…It had to be something she genuinely felt if she brought up would make her look stupid or needy or clingy –

 _Ah, I think I know what it is._ "How'd you _sleep_?" he prodded casually, slowly walking around the room.

She nodded but still didn't look up at him. "G-great. I'm getting used to sleeping in a bed now," she laughed nervously but mentally scolded herself for saying something like that.

"Were you _warm_ enough?" he asked gently, gaging her reaction.

She looked down and her shoulders slumped. "Yeah."

But the unspoken thought hung between them like tinsel on a tree.

 _But I would've been warmer sleeping next to you_.

"Cassie, it's not what you think."

She froze.

"Just listen," his voice was soft and he walked over to where she was sitting, getting on his knees in front of her so they were at eye-level. "You're wondering why I got a room with two beds, right?"

She made eye contact with him briefly but at the question she looked away, not saying anything.

He smiled. "It's not because I don't want to share a bed with you, Cassie. I called you my _girlfriend._ I _want_ to be with you. But I didn't want you to get the wrong idea, either…about what I want from you."

 _Oh shit_. She got a sick feeling in her stomach _. Holy crap is he saying he doesn't feel the same way as I do? He wants me to be his girlfriend but…is he saying he doesn't intend to be with me long-term? That he doesn't want to be with me physically? Is it because I'm so inexperienced?_

Her thoughts were racing and Sam saw it in her face. "I said just listen, Cassie." He tilted her chin up so she was looking into his eyes. "I can see what you're thinking, and none of it is true, so please, just look at me."

She slowly reached her hands up to the hand underneath her chin and wrapped them around it. "Okay," she said quietly.

"I don't want you to think that things like sex and sharing a bed are expected of you. I know this is all new to you, and I just wanted to give you the choice, that's all."

 _Oh._ She relaxed.

"What happened in the car…I know you enjoyed it, but…from this moment on, we go at your pace. I'm not going to push anything on you."

 _Oh, Sam…_ "You've never pushed anything on me. You've never done anything I didn't want you to do, and you're always so careful and considerate with me. I trust you with my life, Sam. I think I can trust you with my body, too. You seem to know it better than I do." She smirked.

Sam sighed. "I'm relieved about that, but…" he looked away, "I don't think you realize how much I want…you." Now it was his turn to blush. "I…um…" he ran his hand through his hair as the tops of his cheeks turned red. "When I went into your room to give you the coffee maker and the clothes…you were having a… _dream_."

 _Wait…oh no_. Cassie put a hand over her mouth. "Oh god, please don't tell me – "

Sam smiled and coughed. "Yeah, you looked very um… _bothered_. But well, my main point is…seeing you like…that…" He took a deep breath and then everything after that was said in a rush, "It took everything I had not to wake you up and take care of whatever kind of problem you were having because at that point it was either walk out of your room and get some air or get in bed with you."

She couldn't help but smile, pleased with herself. _I made the big bad almost-lawyer hunter man hot and bothered? Good._

"But anyway the point I'm trying to make is… It's not that I don't want to be intimate with you. But it's just difficult for me to have self-control around you and I don't want to just _jump_ you. I know you've never done that before and I…I want your first…your first with me, and my first with you to be memorable and special. Because I…love you, Cassie."

His words were so sweet but after his heartfelt speech she couldn't help but laugh.

 _Dammit, I screwed up_. His heart sank.

"Sam," she said through laughter, "You've been staring at the celling this whole time."

 _Oh._ He looked back down at her and smiled shyly.

That smile on Sam was so incredibly endearing and sweet and… _hot…_

 _Stop it, stay focused_ the voice said.

She flinched.

"I have, haven't I?" he said, and his mouth broke out into a full, megawatt smile. "Well, regardless of that fact that I've professed my love and intentions towards you to a _ceiling_ , I meant every word I said."

She smiled. "Good. Then get your love and intentions back on the road and my ass up to Maine."

* * *

At around eight o'clock the following day they stopped through a drive thru to get breakfast, and then it was another ten minutes of driving to get to the jewelry store.

As they were eating in the car, Sam just looked over at her and said, "Don't tell Dean."

She scrunched her eyes in confusion. "Don't tell him what?"

"Exactly," he said, grinning.

She rolled her eyes. _This hunk of man is going to be the death of me, I swear._

* * *

Once they entered Sanford, the anxiety set in.

She recognized everything. Not much had changed except where there used to be a dairy barn it was now a drive thru for booze.

 _That's the East Coast for you_ , she thought.

Her father used to drive her to school every day and he would take this same route.

They drove past her old school, the mall she would see cliques of girls giggling and drinking coffees at as they window shopped, and the skate park where she couldn't walk past without boys hooting and hollering at her.

They even drove past her old library, and she saw that a lonely, frail looking girl had taken Cassie's place on the roof of the library to read, two tall stacks of books on either side of her as she sat in a pretzel, her long blonde hair in her face as she knelt her head down into her book.

It made her smile. _It gets better, sister,_ she told her mentally.

And then the local cemetery showed up to their right and she stiffened.

 _Dad_ , she thought with a sting _. I miss you so much._

One thing settled her mind, though. He had been a good man, and she knew that his soul was in a better place.

 _That's reassuring at least. The fact that I'm an Angel, my brother, Castiel…It all means that Heaven is real. And my dad is there._

She felt herself tearing up but she blinked the tears pooling in her eyes away.

"You okay, Cassie?" Sam said gently. He took her hand in his and used the other one to drive.

She nodded. "It's good to be home," she admitted, barely audible.

But at the same time there were a lot of old memories from middle school and elementary here, where she had been an outcast.

 _She doesn't have a mom because even her own mommy was scared of her._

 _Freak._

 _Weirdo._

 _Go away and talk to some animals like you used to, Snow White._

 _Why do you read so much? Only nerds read all the time._

 _It's not your fault you weren't good at fitting in,_ a voice from within her said, _we know now why you sucked at it so much._

Cassie's heart stopped. _We?!_ Cassie thought. _What the hell?_

She shoved the thoughts down and cleared her head.

Cassie wasn't prepared for the Impala to pull up in front of the store so quickly.

 _We're actually here._ All those days of driving and motel rooms were to get…here.

But Sam didn't make a move to get out, or take off his seatbelt, or even turn the car off, he just sat and waited.

 _He's waiting for me to be ready_. She took a deep breath.

It didn't take her long. She took her seat belt off, and then said, "Sam, no matter what I learn here, I still want a life with you, and that's not going to change. I just wanted you to know that."

His shoulders relaxed, and he smiled, then leaned over to her to plant a soft kiss on her mouth.

"Thank you." He nuzzled her gently. "Let's go, then."

When they walked in, it looked kind of like an antique shop.

There were a lot of ancient looking vases and intricately carved side tables with lush leather love seats and colorful tapestries draped over the furniture.

The moment they stepped in it had a very old-age vibe to it and it was like they had been transported back in time.

The glass display counters glittered with all different kinds of jewelry.

Bracelets with rubies, silver cufflinks, and necklaces that looked so thin and fine that they were made of spider webs. No watches or weapons, but all of it appeared to be made from the same material.

There weren't any gold pieces and in the center of the display, was the Cyclops ring.

"Holy cow," Cassie whispered.

Everything was gorgeous and looked extremely expensive.

They hadn't been standing there for more than five seconds when a sharply dressed man walked up to them with a smile.

The look in his eyes said _, considering the state of your dress, it's safe to assume you've never been into as luxurious of a place as this in your whole life, but my job description requires me to help you regardless._

"Good afternoon, my lady," he kissed Cassie's hand and then let it go, "And to you Sir. What may I help you with?"

Cassie spoke first, a little flustered from the hand-kiss. "Well, um…I'm not here to buy anything, in fact I think I already have a piece from your establishment. I was wondering if you could have a look at it."

"Why, certainly. What piece are you inquiring about?" The man's expression changed from one of disinterest to suspicion.

"It's a watch that was given to me seven years ago," and she held up her wrist to show him.

His eyes went wide. "I…with all due respect Miss, that's impossible. We don't take watch commissions, let alone mass-distribute them. However…" he took the wrist with the watch on it and glanced at it, then gasped. "That's our insignia," he muttered seeing the Trident in the face of the watch.

"Yes, I thought so," she said gently. "You see, I don't know who gave this to me. It just appeared as a gift on my night stand the day after my fifteenth birthday, when I had my name legally changed."

He glanced back up at her and said extremely quietly, "What did you change it to."

She looked at him dead on, not with defiance but with certainty and confidence at said, "Cassandra."

"By the Gods…" he muttered. "Please, have a seat. You won't be kept waiting, my Lady, I promise. I just have to advise Sir Brontes of your arrival."

"You mean the owner?" she asked, taking a seat into one of the leather sofas. _Lady? What's going on?_

"The Founder," he corrected her. He hurried over to a phone on the counter and dialed. He wasn't kept waiting on the phone long. "Please notify Sir Brontes that Cassandra is here, waiting to speak with him. It is _very_ urgent. Yes, _the_ Cassandra. Please." He hung up.

He hurried back over to her and took a seat on the sofa opposite her and Sam, and just stared at her in awe. "Forgive me, I just…you're as beautiful as they say. Honestly. We've been expecting your arrival for quite some time now. I didn't think I'd live to see this." His smile was bright and genuine.

She blushed shyly. "W-well I mean not that I'm not flattered or anything, but…why am I so important?"

He took a deep breath and spoke to steady himself. "Seven years ago a commission was sent to us by the Christian God for a piece that could double as a weapon. Make it out of the same material used to make the blades of Angels, and camouflage it so that the wearer can carry it on them with ease without it being detected. It's the only watch we've ever made. And it was crafted by the founder himself."

 _What the hell?_ "Wait, are you telling me that _God_ gave me this watch?" _That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard._

Sam looked at her with a new-found in awe. _She must be really important._

"Well, he sent the request to have it made and sent to you once you started to get an awareness of your true identity, but Sir Brontes is the one who gave it to you. I'm one of his distant cousins. We're all part of the same family, and we all are taught in the ways of crafting jewelry and weapons, but only the most special and unique of pieces are crafted by Amarandos. It used to be that he and his brother, Hektor were the master welders but unfortunately – "

"– Thank you for tending to Lady Cassandra, but I'll take it from here," said a deep voice from behind them.

They all looked over to see a man with dark slicked back hair, black as night and olive toned skin. He was tall and looked muscular even in a black business suit. He was dressed finely and wore a jeweled brooch on the left side of his chest…

Which featured a blue shield and silver trident in the middle.

He had a cool, calm and collected aura about him that told Cassandra he was used to being in power, and in charge, all the time.

His confident, business-like façade shattered however at the sight of Cassie, and immediately rushed over to her, getting on his knees in front of her.

"It's been so…so long…you're no less beautiful than you were on that battle field," he said with tenderness that hypnotized Cassandra where she sat.

 _What's he talking about?_ He was acting as if they knew each other…

"You don't know me but I've been dreaming about you for the past two thousand years…it was _I_ who collected your grace from your dying vessel and kept it safe all those years. For millennia you were just a bright, blue light in a jar and it was sheer torture. You are a star, my Lady…and you deserved to shine…to fly as you once did…" His eyes were so intense, and he cupped her face in his hand and leaned up as if to –

But Sam sprang into action and immediately pushed him out of the way, a blade in hand. "She's taken."

He looked at Sam, bewildered, as if seeing him for the first time. "You are…?"

Cassie stood up next to Sam, taking his hand. "Put it away, he doesn't mean to harm me," she urged him gently.

Sam glared at him, and without breaking eye contact, store his blade back where he pulled it from. "Hands off." He said with finality and stood in front of her.

"This is Sam Winchester. He's my…" she looked up at him, how strong and protective he was of her, his handsome features and intense eyes…

 _God there's no way the word_ _ **boyfriend**_ _sums up how important he is to me…I don't think all of Sam could even_ _ **fit**_ _into the word boyfriend._

Amarandos stood back up, brushing himself off. "I see…Well, it has been quite some time. You were always sought after by the men around you, my Love. It was vain of me to think that you didn't have any other suitors pining for your affections. That was my mistake."

She blushed. _My Love? Suitors? Good God_. "Look, um…I… _we_ , came a long way to get some answers."

"Why, of course. I'll tell you everything. Ikaros will pick you up for dinner tonight at five precisely from wherever it is you're staying in town."

 _W-what? Dinner?_ "We drove here. I'm not staying anywh –" but then she remembered. Her old house.

He understood the look on her face. "The residence on file for you will be where he will pick you up."

Cassandra crossed her arms. "Why not talk now?"

"I'm afraid I'm not available until after 4:45, dearest. Winter weddings happen to be the craze this year so I have several appointments with couples to discuss rings." He sighed, as if it was regrettable. "I'm terribly sorry. If you still wish to speak to me after my brash behavior, I'll be waiting for you at five."

This is a really bad idea. _This guy is obviously crazy about me, Sam was about two inches form killing him, and the last thing I want is this guy flirting with me…but at the same time..._

 _I need to know. I owe it to my brother to find out._

"I'll go. But I'm promised to Sam Winchester, so no funny business or flirting. Strictly talking, and I don't want it to be anywhere fancy. I don't have any kind of – "

But he waved his hand as if that was trivial. "Nonsense. Tell me your size and I'll have clothes prepared for you. I'll arrive in a separate vehicle so that you can change with discretion."

 _Oh my god this is all so weird. It's like he's freakin' Daddy Warbucks._ "I – "

"Every convenience and necessity will be provided for you, so you need not have a care."

She sighed. "I'm an eight," she said.

He nodded and snapped his fingers. At the gesture, Ikaros nodded and took out a notepad and pen, writing it down. "I must go now, but I'll be expecting you. He walked over and very chastely kissed her hand. "Until then, my Lady." He regarded Sam coolly before turning away.

He exited out of the store, nodding to Ikaros, and they both left the store.

"Are you sure about this, Cassie?" Sam turned back to her, his face full of anxiety and protectiveness. "He was eyeing you like you were the last crab leg at an all-you-can-eat-buffet."

She sighed. "Unfortunately. I'll find out what I need to know, get out, and we can head back home. Don't worry. If he tries anything I'm tougher than I look."

Her game face was on. Her defenses were locked and loaded.

But Sam wasn't reassured. "I'll keep an eye on you in case he tries anything. I'll follow you in the Impala until I found out where you're having dinner, and I'll station myself outside the restaurant so I can keep an eye on him."

She smiled. _Oh Sam…so full of paranoia_.

Just like his brother.

But it was an occupational hazard, she supposed.

"Okay. Well, for now, we've got somewhere to go."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Where?"

She swallowed. "My old house."


	20. Chapter 20: Closure

Chapter 20

Closure

They pulled up in front of a gothic-revival style house in white with black roofing and long, narrow windows. There were rose bushes and apple trees scattered all over the property, and she remembered when she'd climb up into them to gather apples so she could make pies with her grandma, back when she was still alive.

Cassie didn't feel nervous.

This was her home.

She stepped out of the car and Sam followed. "So this was your house," Sam said gently, not entirely sure of her mood.

She nodded, walking up to it like she had done thousands of times. _"Is_ my house. When my dad died, he wrote in his will that I'd get the house and the money he'd left in his savings would cover any bills or repairs needed. But I wasn't of age at the time. Now I am."

The most interesting feature about the house was that there was a porch which wrapped around the entire perimeter of it, but off to the left there was a hole in the porch where…

A _tree_ stuck out of it, and even the ceiling of the porch had been hacked away in a circle so that the tree could grow.

"My dad lived in this house since he was a child. When my grandpa first bought the place, my grandma told him she wanted a wrap-around porch, but the problem with that is they'd have to cut down the tree next to the house." She grinned, remembering the story. "But instead, they just built the porch around it."

It warmed her heart, remembering the story. It reminded her that the people in her family valued life so much, in every way that they coexisted with nature. "My grandparents were heavy believers in god, and he had said at the time, "God wanted us to buy this house because he knew we were the only people who wouldn't cut down this tree. If the good lord wanted this tree here, then so do we." And she laughed. "I used to climb it when I was little. It was how I got up to my bedroom.

And to Sam's astonishment she started climbing the tree.

It was a strong, solid oak, yet she climbed it with ease, and then after a few moments jumped down from it with a small velvet bag in her hand.

"And if I ever got locked out of the house…" she waved the bag at him with a conspiratory smile, dumping the purple pouch out onto her hand, and a key fell out. "I could get in like this."

Sam smiled back. _She never ceases to amaze me._

She walked over to the door and put the key in, turning the knob.

The house was dark inside, but it didn't smell right.

And all of the furniture was moved around.

 _The hell?!_

The sofas were fluffy pink, there were empty glasses everywhere and the TV had been left on, some music channel playing 80's techno.

"Someone's living here?!" she exclaimed. She immediately ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Cassie!" Sam called running after her.

She went up the steps and flung the door open to her bedroom.

It had been turned into some kind of _entertainment_ area.

All of her band posters were gone, her bed had been taken out and her night stand had been painted pink. There were lava lamps and what appeared to be a _bong_ on the floor…Tons of empty beer cans, and a shit ton of cigarette butts.

Sam wasn't sure if she was going to cry, laugh, or blow up and get pissed.

"Give me your phone," she said with the darkest tone Sam had ever heard from her.

He immediately handed it to her.

She dialed 911 and waited.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Hi, my name is Cassandra Trevelyan and I've come home for the first time in several years and it appears that a bunch of teenagers have been squatting in my house while I was away. I need their shit cleared out, and the contraband gone."

"Contraband, ma'am?"

"Yeah. There's a bong here and I'm assuming if I looked a bit more thoroughly, I'd find the substance that generally accompanies it. My address is 934 Platt Avenue."

"There's police on their way now, it'll take about twenty minutes."

"Thank you very much." She hung up.

 _Okay, apparently blow up and get pissed._

At that moment they both heard the door open downstairs.

She immediately stomped down on her way to meet them.

"Son of a bitch," Sam muttered, "Cassie, wait!" He followed her down the stairs.

Her hands were balled in fists at her sides and she was about to start screaming until she caught sight of a woman in her mid-forties at the front door.

She was blonde, brown – eyed and a bit taller than Cassandra but not by much. She was wearing black platform heels, cheetah print pants and a black silk shirt with no bra. She balanced a beer in one hand and a bright pink purse in the other. She wore way too much makeup and her permed hair looked like it had stepped out of a 1984 edition of _Cosmo._

The woman looked at Cassie and Sam with confusion. "Did you two stay the night after the party?"

She took a deep breath, and tried not to explode. "You've got thirty seconds to explain who you are and why the fuck you're in my house."

The woman laughed. " _Your_ house? I've been living here for the past four years, and I've never seen you before in my life. This house used to belong to my husband but he passed away about seven years ago."

 _Wait…what._ Cassie couldn't believe it. "Oh. My. God."

Sam froze where he stood. _There's no way…_

Something suddenly clicked into the woman's head. "Wait…are you…Sarah?" she asked, her tone changing to one of astonishment. "But your hair is _black_ , and your eyes are _blue_. Did you dye your hair?"

 _Brown._ Cassie grimaced. "I'm your daughter, yes but I had my name legally changed to Cassandra Hope quite a long time ago. And no, this is how I look normally."

The woman rushed at Cassie and gave her a huge hug, dropping all of the rest of her belongings. "Oh my God, it's you! Oh my darling baby girl oh my God! Oh, I was so worried about you, I had no clue what had happened to you – "

Cassie immediately pushed her away. "Yeah, it must've been hard to keep track of me since you left two days after I was born."

The woman flushed. "Oh, darling you can't blame me for that. Getting pregnant with you…well I didn't expect it. And you know it just hit me when you were born, I thought to myself, seeing you lying there in my arms…I can't do this. I'm too young. There's so much in life I haven't done, and I'm not ready to be a mother. So I went with some of my friends to New York and had the time of my life…I knew you were in good hands, Christopher was always so doting and caring, but I realized after a while that I wanted – "

"– I don't _give_ a damn what you wanted, want or whatever. I called the cops about two minutes ago because it looked like a bunch of _teenagers_ were living here! The house is a wreck, my bedroom looks like the girl from legally blonde _fucked it with a unicorn_ , and you _obviously_ haven't been taking care of it! This is the house I _grew up in_. My _childhood_ lives here. You have twenty minutes to get your stuff, _and your ass_ , out of here!"

"That is not any way to talk to me, young lady. And I obviously would've had the place cleaned up if I knew you were coming but…Sarah – "

"CASSANDRA!" She exclaimed, and that was the last straw. Cassie flew open the front door and started grabbing things from the living room. She ripped a lava lamp plug out of the wall, then with all her might threw it outside and then kept going, throwing out wine glasses and beer cans and watched as each one shattered on the stone pathway.

"Darling, stop! Please, stop! This is ridiculous you don't need to react this way – "

"NO, THE WAY I'M REACTING IS ACTUALLY EXTREMELY JUSTIFIED," she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Cassie," Sam said, trying to calm her but he didn't move an inch. He had encountered countless monsters in his life so far, but none so frightened him as much as the five foot four woman that stood before him.

Except Clowns, of course.

 _This woman is a tornado when she's angry._

This was permanently noted in his mind.

She suddenly stopped and put herself right into her mother's face. "Where did you put my band posters?! And my bed?! Where did you put all my clothes and stuffed animals and – "

Rosaline Trevelyan grabbed Cassandra and tried to calm her down. "I had a feeling those things were yours so all I did was put them in boxes. Everything's up in the attic, I didn't throw anything out –"

"– Don't you get it?! That's not the point! THIS WAS MY SAFE PLACE AND YOU RUINED IT!" After that last outburst she defeatedly slumped to the floor and burst into tears.

Sam immediately knelt down to her and took her in his arms. _Shhh….It's okay Baby, we'll fix all of it…Right back to the way it was…_

He didn't care that her mother was there, he nuzzled her gently, kissing all over her face, muttering soothing sounds. "Shhhh…It's alright, Cassie...It's okay…"

It quieted her a bit but she was still shaking and crying.

Rosaline regarded Sam in her mind with coldness and resentment, ignoring the display."You said your name is…Cassandra?" The woman looked to her and sighed. "That's disappointing, I named you Sarah Rose because Sarah was my mother's name and…my first name is Rosaline. Part of me wanted to leave a piece of myself before I left…I still love you, dear. You're still my baby girl, and I'm so glad you're here – "

"No." Cassie said with such cold finality and harshness that Rosaline recoiled. She stood back up and despite the tears running down her face she looked confident and strong. "You don't get to say that. You don't get to claim me as yours because you were never there. I was put into the _foster care system_. I couldn't live in my _own house_ because you. Weren't. there. I jumped from family to family, dealt with bullies, was picked on in school and had to learn about puberty and boys and all of that the _hard way_ because _you. Weren't. There._ And because of all of that, I walked aimlessly from state to state, just trying to stay under the radar. Because you. Weren't. There. So don't you _ever_ fucking say I'm yours, because as far as I'm concerned, you're a stranger living in my house, and you need to leave."

Cassandra was shaking, she was so full of rage.

Rosaline crossed her arms. "Young lady, you don't get to talk to me in such a manner and you can't just make me leave your father's house. I got back here first." A sly smirk was on her face.

Cassie resisted the urge to punch her. "Oh yes, I can. Because when dad died he left me the house in his will. This house belongs to me. And you're not welcome. Now you've got eight minutes before the cops show up, and you've got a bong in the upstairs bedroom, so good luck with that, _Mom_."

Her eyes went wide, and she didn't say a word for a moment. "I can't be out in eight minutes. But I can be in 60. Give me some time and I'll have my boyfriend come get me and move my stuff to his place. Good luck with the house. I'm sorry we couldn't have gotten to know each other."

"Yeah, I'm sorry too, but twenty two years is twenty two too late," Cassie said through gritted teeth and she stomped back up the stairs to her room.

Sam looked at Rosaline, and felt the need to say something as she just stood there, staring at him as if searching for an answer.

He cleared his throat, and looked her dead in the face. "For the record, Cassandra Hope Trevelyan is a beautiful, caring, smart, strong woman. She's resourceful, a fast learner, and I'm in love with everything about her, including the fact that despite everything she was put through, she remained pure hearted and resilient. She deserved better than what she got. And if I were you, I'd make it a point to be out of here very soon."

Rosaline bristled, and frowned at him. "I'm sorry that my daughter fell for some lumberjack hick from god knows where, but I agree on the fact that she deserves better than what she got. I know I could've taken care of her better than _you_." Venom seeped out from her words.

Sam coolly replied, "Then you should've." He walked back up the stairs after Cassandra.

She already had the attic stairs down and was bring down boxes labeled _Sarah._

She ripped everything open with Sam's knife , making sure to slash through the name "Sarah" whenever it was written in Sharpie, and was throwing the things that were in her room out the window.

 _Okay note to self, don't break up with her. Ever._

She tenderly took things out and placed them where they used to be, brushing off the dust that had accumulated. Her acoustic guitar (after tuning it) was propped against the wall in the left corner with care, the fluffy pink rug was thrown out the window after being rolled up, she put all her clothes on a pile on the floor to be washed. She started to chip away at the paint on the nightstand so that it was white again.

Sam decided to help and just not question anything. He'd never seen Cassie like this.

This was what she was like at her lowest. Obsessive, sensitive and apparently clean-crazy. But he knew this was all so she could get some closure and get past everything. "When the cops get here, I'll tell them everything that happened." He kissed the top of her head and got a broom from downstairs to sweep up the dust and cigarette ash from her floor.

Together, they got the room looking back to the way it was.

Cassie opened up the window so the room could air out, she threw a bunch of her clothes and curtains in the washer across the hall, and when the police showed up she was reassembling her stuffed animals, making sure to leave the bong in the middle of the floor for them to take.

Sam went downstairs and explained the situation. He didn't say who it was that had been living here, he just summed it up to be gang activity or the work of high schoolers. Rosaline had left before the cops showed up, apparently not caring too much about her "belongings." They called in a team of people to get out all of the alcohol and marijuana paraphernalia (they also found several bags of cocaine in the kitchen drawers downstairs) and took out all the beer cans and anything that hadn't been in the house when Cassandra lived there. The whole process took until midnight.

Cassie was aware that she had missed her appointment with Amarandos but she didn't care. Whatever her past had been like, the past that mattered was the one in front of her now.

At one o'clock in the morning, she finally collapsed onto her bed (After getting the board and mattress down from the attic) and passed out.

Sam had moved her clothes to the dryer while she slept, and then took off his shoes and jacket, crawling into bed with her, holding her close.

"You're so strong, Baby, and I'm so proud," he whispered into her hair. "You're a force to be reckoned with, and I know you can handle anything."

It was then that Sam decided if there ever came a time that she'd decide to reclaim her Grace, he wouldn't stop her. Because she was strong enough to overcome Sarah's soul.

He just knew it.


	21. Chapter 21: Forever

Chapter 21

Forever

At 9:00 the following morning there was a knock at the door. It startled Cassie awake first. Sam was sleeping like a rock next to her, and it took her a bit to untangle herself from his loving, protective arms and sneak quietly downstairs.

She opened the front door to see the man from yesterday.

Ikaros.

"Good morning," she said, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm sorry to have woken you, My Lady. Sir Brontes was rather distraught about you missing dinner last night."

She nodded. "I didn't mean to, something came up. I came home to find that someone had been living in my house for the past four years and they destroyed it. I spent all of last night getting it back in order."

Ikaros' expression seemed genuinely disconcerted. "I'm terribly sorry to hear that. I was wondering why there were police in front of your house when I came to pick you up. I'll inform Sir Brontes of the situation and see if we can't reschedule dinner."

She nodded. "That's very kind of you," she said, all of the rage, frustration and pain from the previous night gone and dulled from tiredness.

He dialed a number on his phone. After a few rings someone picked up. "Yes, Sir it's me. It appears Lady Cassandra missing dinner with you was not intentional. She came home last night to find someone had destroyed her house and had been residing in it for an extended period of time without her knowledge. She was clearing it with the police to get it back in order. She was wondering if there was a time she could –" He was immediately interrupted and his eyes grew wide. "W-why, y-yes of course, Sir. Yes." He put his hand over the mouth piece.

"Sir Brontes asks if meeting you tonight at 7 would be acceptable for dinner. I'd still come by your house to escort you."

"Okay," she said weakly, nodding.

"She said yes," Ikaros said into the phone. "Oh. Why…yes, of course." He held out the phone to her. "He wishes to speak with you."

 _Oh great_. She took the phone from Ikaros.

"Are you alright?" Amarandos' tone was concerned.

"Last night I was…" she sighed. "I blew up. I was mad and I cried and it was ugly. I cleaned like a mad woman and got my bedroom looking back the way it had been when I lived here. It was around midnight when I finally got done."

"I'm so sorry. If I knew what had been happened I would've come and helped."

She shook her head. "It's okay, Sam was here. And I had a lot of help from the people the police brought in."

"Naturally, I understand completely why you missed dinner. I just wanted to finalize a few things before tonight. What size heel are you?"

 _Jesus Christ_. "I'm a size seven in shoes but I uh…I'm not really a "heels" woman. I um…"

Miraculously, there was a chuckle on the line. "I understand. How about ballet flats?"

"Yeah, that works. But don't go completely crazy on me, it's just dinner."

"Oh, Cassandra, I'll do whatever it is I please. Especially after the fiasco last night. I want to make you forget all about it."

His tone made chills run up her spine. "Thank you but Sam is doing that for me just fine. I'll be ready at 7." She hung up.

Ikaros stared wide eyed at her as if he'd never seen anyone hang up on Amarandos before.

He probably never had.

She handed the phone back to him. "Thank you, Ikaros, I'll see you tonight."

He bowed and then walked back down the cobblestone path.

Cassie closed the door, taking a moment to sigh deeply. "Good God. This is my life now."

She went down to the newly-cleaned kitchen and searched around to see if there was any coffee.

She started up the machine once she found some and then headed to the bathroom for a shower.

It was steaming hot, quick and refreshing. After brushing her teeth and wrapping herself in a towel, she poured a mug of coffee and chugged it down, then headed upstairs.

She washed and dried all of her clothes not stopping to think if she even _fit into them_ anymore.

But she found a decent pair of jeans and a Band Tee to wear after getting on her bra and underwear. It turned out she had actually lost a ton of weight because the jeans were too big for her in the waist.

 _I'm thinner than I was when I was 15._ It wasn't exactly a good thing, she realized.

She had left all of her clothes behind because of the memories with her father that clung to them, so she had a fresh start with barely anything when she was moving from family to family, then eventually ending up in Vermont.

After getting dressed and brushing out her hair, she crawled back into bed with Sam to sleep for the rest of the day.

 _Mmmmm_. He was warm and smelled like Sam. She burrowed her nose into the back of his soft hair, breathing him in. Instantly all of her stress melted away and everything was right with the world.

After a few moments Sam woke up. He flipped around so they were face to face and he smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Gmornin' Beautiful," he murmured, wrapping himself around her.

She sighed with relaxation. "Morning," she whispered back.

He sniffed her hair. "You smell good," he said, nuzzling her neck.

She squealed, it tickled.

The sound was music to his ears.

"I forgot to tell you. Dean called when you were asleep in Ohio and wanted me to tell you he was in Missouri. He and Crowley found something."

"What'd they find?" Sam asked, his eyes still closed.

"I don't know, he didn't say. But I updated him on where we were and everything."

Sam was laying on his side, his chin resting over Cassie's head and his left arm wrapped across her chest. He nodded at her words.

"And I rescheduled dinner with Amarandos for tonight. Ikaros came to the door this morning."

Sam stiffened. "That jerk better keep his hands to himself," he muttered.

Cassie beamed. _Oh, I love you._

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

She giggled. "I don't want to move."

Sam grinned. "Good, then we won't."

They slept like that for another few hours before finally waking up. Sam took his phone out of his pocket to text Dean.

 _We're in Sanford. It's them. We're finding out info tonight. We're both good. Hbu?_

He checked the time.

 _12:00._

And he suddenly processed his surroundings.

He was in bed…

With Cassie.

She looked up at him and blushed, as if comprehending the same thing. "Hi," she whispered shyly.

"Hey," he said, just as quietly.

She leaned up to kiss him.

It started out gentle and sweet, but her kisses became more insistent.

 _God,_ Sam thought, kissing her back. _God I want her so bad._

She had a feeling, and hesitantly, she decided to make a move first.

She put her hand up Sam's shirt, gently feeling the firm muscles of his torso underneath her finger tips.

He gasped into her mouth at her touch, unable to hold back a moan.

 _Whoa_ , she thought. _I didn't realize I had such an effect on him_.

She wondered if the fire and need she felt between her legs was what he felt between his.

 _Don't be shy. It's Sam. And you're a grown woman. There's no reason to be shy. He's not too much man for you to handle_ , she told herself.

She reached a hand down to the front of his jeans and pressed down.

"Ahh, Cassie –" the need in his voice was so apparent it made her shiver.

His reaction encouraged her to continue and she quickly undid the button his jeans and slid them down a bit, rubbing him through his boxers.

Sam had to pull away his mouth and bite into her shirt, unable to stop himself from thrusting against her hand. "God," his voice was strained.

It was so hot and intense seeing him like this, she wanted to continue. She looked at him, "S-Sam, look at me."

He did. His jaw was clenched, like he was trying to hold himself back.

"I want it," she said firmly. "I'm ready."

Sam's eyes went wide. _Holy crap, she means_ …"Cassie, I don't have any kind of protection –"

She leaned down to kiss his mouth. "I don't care. I love you," she said against his lips.

Her words swelled up inside him, making him feel like his heart was about to burst. Dean's voice was in his head, calling him an idiot and telling him to have self control. But this woman would be willing to have his _children_. She wanted to give not just her love and attention but her whole life, body and soul to him.

He couldn't take it anymore.

"Tell me if you want to stop," he said in a rush and immediately he took off her shirt, kissing all over her.

She gasped and whined at every touch of his lips.

He undid the clasp of her bra in one quick motion, nuzzling and kissing the base of her throat and into her neck as he rubbed circles into her back.

He didn't leave one inch of her untouched or unattended to. Her fingers were locked into the back of his hair, and her hips bucks up against him as they lie there, both in their underwear.

The contact with each other's arousals made them both groan in unison and shiver.

 _I want you,_ she thought, whining as he cupped her backside to push her lower half up against his.

"S-Sam p-please!" she whimpered, biting into his neck.

The sharpness into his skin completely set him off, and that was what finally made him give in.

He slipped off her underwear, checking gently with his finger to see if she was ready.

She moaned and shivered at the contact.

She was completely soaked.

 _Definitely ready._ He laid her gently underneath him, her head propped up with a pillow and her hair back and out of her face.

"I-is it going to hurt?" Cassie asked, out of breath.

It's actually a myth that a woman's hymen is supposed to break when she has sex for the first time. And Sam was going to be careful. "Not necessarily. It all depends on your body. I'll start slow, okay?" he said, looking down at her, also out of breath but no less tender and loving than he'd been to her since they met.

She smiled shyly and nodded, leaning her head up to kiss him again. "Okay, Sam," she said, laying her head back down, looking up at him with those blue eyes.

 _I love you so much_ , he thought. She was gorgeous, strong willed and sweet and caring and brave and firey and everything he didn't realize he wanted in a woman until he had it.

He kissed the corner of her jaw, and nuzzled her. "I love you, Cassie," he said gently.

Her heart fluttered. "I love you Sam."

Four small words.

Just four words.

And they completely tore him apart.

His heart was so full of raw and intense emotion that it overcame his lust, and when he finally entered her it was love that drove his hips forward into her.

"Oh, _Sam_ ," she whined. _Holy crap oh my God._

She'd never felt anything like this.

He moved slowly but he went deep and she found that she loved when he did.

"M-more," she begged, thrusting her hips towards his.

He hissed into her shoulder at her hips moving _. Jesus Christ_.

She was so. Damn. _Tight._

And she was moving her hips without him even doing anything. He wasn't going to last. Not taking care of his lust when the car incident happened, or when he caught her having a wet dream about him, and holding back whenever they had kissed…

It all was pent up and about to explode.

 _Shit, there's no way she's on the pill_ , he thought. He couldn't.

"C-Cassie s-stop or I'm going to –" His orgasm was so close but he couldn't let it wash over him.

But Cassie knew she wanted to be with Sam.

Forever.

She moved her hips up anyway, despite his words. "I want you to, Sam," she confessed, blushing as she tucked her head into his chest. "P-please, S-Sam I n-need y-you," she whined.

Hearing her voice like that, begging and saying his name, the way she was clinging to him…

He didn't have a choice.

Sam picked up his pace and she immediately cried out.

 _Damn._ He wanted to make her orgasm before him, but it looked like they were going to at the same time.

"SAM PLEASE!" She was screaming and her entire body was tensed and quivering.

 _She's almost there_ , Sam thought, letting out another strangled moan as he felt her tighten up around him. _Damn aaahhh…._

"SAAAAAMMMM!" She cried, she convulsed as her orgasm overtook her body.

Sam thrusted through her orgasm to prolong it and in the process, he himself lost his composure and came into her. "Aahhh," He laid on top of her, his heart beating fast in his chest, his face buried in the side of her neck. "Cassie…" he said out of breath… "I..."

But she put a finger over his mouth. "I know, Sam. It's okay," she said, and her body gradually relaxed. Once the endorphins kicked in, she couldn't stop smiling. She stroked her fingers through his hair as he lay on top of her. The heat wasn't on in the house but she felt perfectly cozy underneath Sam.

 _If she gets pregnant because I didn't have any self-control_ …the thought made Sam flinch _. I never even officially asked her out, let alone talked about marriage. What if she didn't want to marry me? Just now I could've completely ruined –_

But she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into him. "Sam I want it," she whispered. "I want a life with you. I want to stay with you, and Dean and my brother and be with you."

He opened his eyes and sighed. "Cassie, if I got you pregnant – "

"– Then I would become a mom," she said, the joy in her voice apparent. "I don't have any plans to go to college or any other kind of school. I'd have to go back to High School and I'm not going through _that_ again."

"You're really okay with living in a bunker for the rest of your life with a bunch of psycho hunters?" Sam asked.

"Don't talk about yourself and Dean that way," she said. "You two saved me. I owe you everything."

 _Is that why she's with me? Because she feels like she owes me?_ Sam's heart convulsed. "Did I hurt you at all?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, you were amazing, Sam."

The last time Sam had sex it was the last and final time he saw Amelia. But that had just been sex. It was just straight up intercourse in a motel bed, and they both got dressed and left afterwards. He may have been in love with her, but there hadn't been any love in that. But what he'd done with Cassie… _that_ had been making love.

He'd initially been depressed about leaving Amelia, but after a while he knew he'd made the right decision.

She was with her husband Don, where she was supposed to be.

And if he'd chosen to stay with her, he never would've met Cassie.

Cassie could feel his thoughts against her neck, not completely sure what they were but she knew they were a burden on him.

She felt a tear sliding down her face as she filled up with emotion. "I'll never find love like this again, Sam. You're my first and my only. I don't remember my Angel life but I know that even if I had my memories from then it would still be true. You're the only man I've ever loved and I want to stay with you forever." Her voice broke on the last word.

The weight of her confession made her tear up and her chest shook.

Sam immediately kissed her, wiping away the tears. Her love-spoken words were what finally put his anxieties to rest.

They spent the whole afternoon like that, in each other's arms, making love and falling asleep.

Before they knew it, it was 6:30, and Cassie had to get ready for dinner with Amarandos.

While Sam showered she packed up the clothes she wanted to take back with her and stashed them in the backseat of the Impala, she cleaned out the coffee maker, got her shoes on, put on Dean's jacket and made sure to have Alien Claw in her backpack.

Sam had given her a cellphone to keep on her, and she slipped it in the pocket of her jeans.

When it got dark, Sam went into the Impala and he kissed Cassie through the window of it before saying, "I love you. Be careful. When you find out what you need to know…come back to me."

She held his face in her hands and tenderly kissed him back. "Always," she breathed.

With reluctance, they pulled away from each other and she ran back up to the front steps of her house.

At exactly 7:00 a black, expensive looking vehicle showed up in front of the house. Ikaros stepped out of the car to escort her, but she was already at the cart when he showed up.

"Its fine, thank you." But he opened the door for her anyway so she could step in.

It was very luxurious. The temperature of the car was nice and warm, and a gorgeous sparkly light blue sequined gown was waiting for her on the seat with a pair of matching silver shoes.

A black divider went up so she was completely covered, and the windows were tinted. "We'll arrive at _Poisson et le vin_ in fifteen minutes, My Lady. I'll drive slowly so you have time to change."

"Thank you!" she said through the screen, and immediately texted Sam the name of the restaurant.

She wriggled out of her shirt and jeans after unlacing her boots and slipped on the dress. It was classy and elegant, revealing but in a tasteful way. The back dipped low but it was high-necked and sleeveless. It didn't show her cleavage, and the length of the gown was longer in the back. It felt silky and smooth against her skin, but she realized she didn't have pockets.

 _Damn, how am I supposed to keep the phone on me? And Alien Claw?_

A text appeared on the phone from Sam. Cassie made sure to put the phone on silent and have the vibration off. She looked at the text.

 _Got It. I have your back, Babe x_

She smiled at his nickname for her and that was all the encouragement she needed.

She was going to get answers, and she was going to set this guy straight.

She belonged to Sam Winchester, Body and Soul.


	22. Chapter 22: Dinner

Chapter 22

Dinner

Ikaros stopped in front of a very fancy looking restaurant.

The name was French, but the architecture of the restaurant was obviously a Greek-style villa, made of white stucco and pearl colored-stone stairs that led to a cobalt blue door. The windows were made of turquoise-colored glass that resembled the shine of wine bottles and there were exotic looking flowers blooming everywhere, scenting the air with a sweet perfume.

 _It's almost December, how is that even_ _ **possible?**_ She thought, realizing just how freezing she was in nothing but a glorified bed sheet and flats. But she couldn't deny it.

It was breath taking.

There were small lights that led up the pathway to the restaurant and the shudders of the open windows were blue, laughter and the clinking of glasses pouring out of them.

"Have a good time, My Lady," Ikaros said with a smile.

Cassie couldn't swing it. The only thing that Amarandos had provided for her purse-wise was a silver clutch to match her shoes, which barely fit her phone. There was no way she'd fit Alien Claw inside.

 _Dammit it's almost like he did it on_ _ **purpose**_ _,_ her gut told her, and she was immediately on guard.

She slipped the phone in her underwear, the only place she could keep it, since the back of the dress prohibited her from wearing a bra.

This was the most exposed and unarmed she'd been in a week.

 _Son of a bitch, I should've said no backless dresses_ , she thought, but nonetheless, she stepped out of the car and started walking down the path.

She was thankful she'd specified no heels but her dress was a pain. She had to hold up the front so she wouldn't trip.

 _Ugh_. She wanted so badly to be back in jeans and boots.

But taking another glance at the restaurant, she realized that wasn't possible. It was way too fancy for her to be trudging up the stairs in boots with a backpack. The pathway was _white,_ as if it was expected to be wearing brand new shoes when you used it.

"So much for nothing fancy," she muttered to herself, and pushed the door open.

Inside it had that same ancient feeling as the jewelry store, but there were several sets of stucco stairs that led to different parts of the restaurant, and people standing everywhere with champagne glasses, chatting and laughing. The lighting was dim. There were a few floor cushions where people sat pretzel-style and gorgeously ornate tapestries in deep blues and stark whites were hung on the walls and over all the furniture.

"What's your name, Madam?" The doorman asked, looking down at the list of names.

"Cassandra Trevelyan," she said.

The doorman's eyes instantly widened to the size of dinner plates and he stuttered, "Um, j-just up those stairs to the left. Someone will escort you to the proper room."

 _Room?!_ She didn't like the sound of that. But she had to keep going. Sam had her back. "Thank you," she said with the most refinement she could muster, and went up the stairs.

The hallway was carpeted with a thick, deep blue rug. It was a tapestry design of a silver trident within a blue shield. And the hall was dimly lit with silver wall sconces that were crafted to resemble torches.

There was a woman leaning against the wall in a gown that looked like melted down silver. Her eyes were as dark as her stick-straight ebony hair. She looked like an Egyptian queen.

She had tear drop earrings and an elegant wrist cuff that wound up her arm.

She looked at Cassie and smiled, immediately leading her by the arm into a room.

"Here," she said.

The room was dark except for a few candles. The woman started touching Cassie's curled hair and pinning it up in a traditional Greek bun. "You need to look pretty before you see Amarandos," she said with a conspiratory smile.

 _Huh?_ She was the first person who called him by his first name instead of Sir Brontes.

Cassie felt the woman rub something onto her lips. _It tastes like peppermint._

She also rubbed something onto her hands and touched Cassie's shoulders.

It made her jump "U-um – "

"Relax," the woman said. "Believe me, I'd like to do more than touch you but my brother would have a fit if I did anything more than I was supposed to," she said, her tone seductive. She rubbed a scented oil all over Cassie's arms, shoulder, back, neck and behind her ears, making her smell like rosemary and lavender.

 _Brother?_ "Um…Thank you for all this, but I don't swing that way," she said, her cheeks beet red.

"Neither do I, I just said it to get some color into your cheeks," she said, and laughed, then pushed Cassie over to the mirror.

 _Holy Shit_. In the long sky blue gown that shone like water and dragged to the floor, silver shoes and new hairstyle, she looked like a Greek goddess.

The woman had woven silver branches into her hair and there were small curls that the woman let hang lose, framing Cassie's face.

The dress brought out her eyes and made her look older than she felt.

She looked…. _sexy._

 _Son of a bitch, this guy thinks this is a date. Ugh_.

Cassie frowned but walked back out into the hallway, the woman's hand at the small of her back, nudging her.

"It's that one," the woman pointed at a mahogany door to the right with a silver knob.

And just as quickly and mysteriously the woman had appeared, she was gone behind the door of the room Cassie had just walked out of.

 _Damn._ There weren't any windows. _How the hell is Sam supposed to know where I am?_

She snuck into one of the side rooms and took out her phone from between her legs, then texted Sam. _I'm upstairs in the room with the mahogany door and silver knob. If I'm not back down within an hour, come find me_.

She texted quickly and once the message was sent she put it back where it was, then exited the room. She got out just in time because the second the door closed behind her the door that the woman had pointed to opened.

And stepping out of it was Amarandos.

"Cassandra," he said, obvious pleasure in his expression. "I'm so glad you were able to come tonight." He looked her up and down and bit his lip. "You're stunning."

Her face flushed, and she nodded. "Thanks. Um…the dress is pretty, but I would've preferred something that I didn't freeze my ass off in," she said with obvious resentment.

His eyes widened. "Oh. I just thought an open back dress would be more comfortable for your wings."

 _Wings? Oh, right. Angel._

"Uh…thankyou. That was considerate…" _I guess. Except I don't have wings because I haven't activated my Grace._

He gestured for her to go into the room but she stood in front of it, waiting for him to go in first.

He raised an eyebrow, but went in first.

 _I don't trust you not to lock the door. You obviously have free roam of the place_.

Inside the room was an intimately small glass table with a sheer cloth draped over it. On top of the table's surface sat a bottle of wine and two glasses to go with it. There were roses everywhere and fat, white candles that scattered the room.

The place looked like a dinner set for two straight out of a romance novel with Fabio on the cover.

 _Oh, Jeez._ She clutched at her silver bag with anxiety.

"Please, have a seat. My butler will be here shortly to take our orders. In the meantime, would you care for some wine? It was imported from Crete. They still have the best wineries in all of Greece, and the world for that matter."

 _That woman had nothing to worry about. There's plenty of color in my face_. "That's very kind of you, but I don't really drink," she admitted.

He smiled warmly. "I should've known. An Angel of the Lord wouldn't indulge in such pleasures. But perhaps there can be a few exceptions made."

A chill went down her spine. _Ugh, if he's talking about sex…been there, done that, got the T-Shirt. I love Sam, so back off._

"I have questions." She had to get him off the subject.

"Of course. Have a seat and we can get started."

She sat down at one of the chairs, which also appeared to be silver and viney, like the wall sconces and the cuff on the arm of the woman in the hallway.

"Do you have anything planned, considering we're in a room with no windows and we're all by ourselves?" She couldn't help but ask. Her tone was laced with suspicion.

He looked down at her with surprise. "This room actually has a balcony, I just have the curtains drawn because I thought you wouldn't want anyone gawking at your open back. I'm also used to dining by myself, and I thought you'd be more comfortable in a room where you didn't have to worry about table manners."

 _Oh_. So he was actually trying to be more considerate than she thought.

 _Or he's tricking me into letting my guard down. Not happening. I may not look like much but I'm not stupid._

"Um…so…do you eat here a lot?" She asked, then realized how eerily similar her question was to, _Come here often_?

He nodded. "Often enough. I own this restaurant."

 _Of course you do_. She sighed.

He poured himself a glass of the wine and chose to stay standing on the opposite side of her. "You have questions. I'm an open book, Darling," he said. "Ask away."

 _Ugh, please stop with the Darling crap_. But she needed answers. "How old am I?"

"Probably a little over four thousand years old."

 _Jesus Christ_. "Okay. Um…you said I was a warrior?"

"The finest in your Garrison. Fondly called the Dual Wielder. You were the only Angel that used two blades when fighting. Even your brother Castiel, who shares the same energy in his Grace as yours, never achieved a sword skill to that degree. I happened to be an onlooker at the time of the battle. You were fighting an army of demons, alongside your brothers and sisters."

 _Brothers and sisters?_ "I have more siblings?"

He nodded. "All Angels consider themselves brothers and sisters, since they all see God as their father. But Castiel is closer to you than most because you were both created from the same energy."

Even at the sound of his name, her heart filled with the warm feeling of trust and familiarity. _My brother._ "How do you know Castiel?"

He took a sip of his wine. "Every Angel that needs a weapon is forged one after God sends in a commission for them. I know the names and faces of every client, Angel or otherwise. It's my job. We've been crafting weapons for the divine beings of this world for thousands of years. The jewelry industry is more of a cover, really, to hide the main operation of weapon-forging."

 _Shit._ "So then if you were there…how old are you?"

His eyes suddenly met hers, and those dark pools of black looked ancient and timeless all at once. "Very. Very. Old."

He didn't look older than his early thirties, though. _Wow._ "Are you immortal?"

"Yes," he said, "As you are."

 _I am?_ "Then how did I die?"

Suddenly Amarandos got a pained look on his face. "It wasn't supposed to happen. There is only one material in this entire world that can kill an Angel, and it's the one we use to make their weapons. It wasn't supposed…" He started pacing the room slowly, obviously disturbed.

She stood back up, walking over to him. "Please, I need to know."

He looked into her eyes and saw the burning curiosity and the unfullfillment she felt, only knowing half of herself.

He sighed. "I could never deny you anything, My Love…I just…I'm just trying to collect myself," he said, his voice breaking with emotion. He took a deep breath, then finally continued. "A traitor among my tribe grew bitter that we always made weapons for deities in higher power. He believed that we should've forged the weapons for ourselves, and used them against the Angels. Ultimately, his goal was to take over Heaven. We'd be unstoppable. So to start, he forged an arrowhead melted down from an Angel blade and shot the Angels' main commander, Michael. Or at least…that was the intended target."

 _Oh_ …Cassie felt she knew the rest of that story. A hand went over her heart automatically.

His eyes were closed now. "It hit you instead. You saw the arrow coming and you tried to deflect it with your blade and protect your leader, but you were too late. Seeing an Angel as beautiful as you fall like that from so high…" He stopped talking and turned away from her.

Cassie was frozen where she stood, and her heart was hammering in her chest. She'd really been killed in Battle, like some great Hero. And she'd been an Angel of Heaven, thousands of years ago, fighting side by side with her brother, Castiel.

"I'm sure your brother blames himself. As your partner, it was his duty to look after you, but you acted on instinct and he couldn't react to your decision fast enough." Amarandos finished the last of his wine in one gulp and poured himself some more.

At that moment there was a knock at the door and a server came in. "Do you know what you'd like this evening, Sir?"

"Yes, I'll have my usual," Amarandos said, waving dismally.

"Very good, Sir. And you, My Lady?"

Cassie had no idea what to ask for, she had so much swirling in her head. "I…I'll have what he's having," she said. _Dammit_.

Amarandos' despaired look changed to one of surprise, and then he smiled. "Get her the Paves du Mail with Pomme Frites and a glass of lemon sparkling water."

"Right away, Sir." The Butler bowed and then exited as gracefully as he entered.

 _Holy crap what did he just order for me?_

The look on her face made him laugh. "It's basically steak with French fries."

 _Oh._ "Oh, cool. Thanks." _Oh my God, did I just say that._

He laughed again. "Please, Cassandra. Just relax. You don't have to worry about being refined and proper here. Just be comfortable."

She crossed her arms. "That's very kind of you, except if I didn't have to be refined then why put me in this ridiculously revealing and inconvenient dress and have my hair and makeup done for me?"

He sat down at the table and gestured for her to do the same. "You don't like it? I thought the color brought out your eyes very well. And I had my sister do your hair so you didn't have to worry about it falling in your face as you're trying to eat."

 _UGH GOD WHAT THE HELL?!_ "Okay, just…stop."

This was just getting crazier and crazier and she had to put an end to it. "Why are you being so considerate of me, and doting on me like I'm some kind of princess or something?"

For a moment Amarandos just sat there, frozen, then he looked back up to her. "I don't think you realize how important you are, Cassandra. You were Michael's right hand. God _adored_ you. You're the closest thing Angels have to royalty, short of being one of the Seraphim. I'm treating you like a Princess because I don't have the means to treat you like a _Goddess_."

 _Whoa, that got intense_. She was speechless.

"I don't understand…you've obviously not performed the spell on the back of your watch, but why? If you had, you wouldn't need to ask any of these questions and you'd see why…" he sighed. "The human Sam you've been traveling with…how do you feel about him?"

At the mention of Sam she couldn't help but smile as her heart fluttered. "I love him," she said without any hesitation.

Amarandos glared. "That's an abomination. Angels are not allowed to be intimate with… _humans_."

"Aren't you human?" She asked.

"No, I'm an immortal. My kind courting yours is not uncommon. In fact I had admired you for quite some time before you had ever met me. I was going to try courting you…as I'm attempting now," he admitted.

She scoffed. " _Courting_ for me is over and done with. Concerning the watch, I can't read Enochian. And even if I could, it wouldn't matter. I've chosen to stay human and have a life with Sam."

Before he could say anything the Server came in and placed their food on the table, then promptly left.

His appearance had stalled Amarandos form reacting to her words. But he was certainly reacting now. "That is absolute _insanity._ That's denouncing everything you are. It's blasphemy! God has plans for you – "

"– I don't _care_ what kind of plans he may or may not have for me! Last I heard, God's left the building, and we're on our own in this world. Where do you think the expression _God-forsaken_ comes from?! There isn't a "God Takes Responsibility and Man's up" phrase, now is there?!"

He growled with frustration. "Cassandra, you don't understand!" He stood back up and paced, not touching his food. "I've been in love with you for thousands of years. I ran through all the blood and carnage on that field to get to you and save your Grace so I could put you into another vessel. But as I was about to…God told me not to. He said just to keep it safe, until the time was right. For thousands of years I waited and waited. I've been alive much longer than I waited, but believe me, seeing your beautiful light trapped in such a vile, hollow glass jar nearly drove me to madness. It felt like an _Eternity_ , Cassandra."

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.

"Then finally… _finally_ , He spoke to me again. He instructed me to plant you into an infant vessel. Sarah Rose Trevelyan, in Sanford, Maine. _America._ He told me twenty two years ago."

Cassie couldn't move if she wanted to, the weight of his story and emotions held her fixed in place, and all she could do was listen.

He sighed. "And so, it became a waiting game again. I kept an eye on you. I didn't want to interfere in your life, I just wanted to be sure you were safe and growing up healthy. I moved the family business from Thebes to Sanford, Maine so I could be closer to you. I looked for signs that you remembered. But nothing happened. Your appearance changed to look the way you used to, but there wasn't any indication that you remembered your true nature. And on top of that, seeing a younger version of the Angel from before…knowing you didn't have a clue who I was…It was sheer torture. I began to lose hope completely."

Cassandra found that she had tears in her eyes, hearing about how long he endured such pain. _All this time, it was this man who ended up saving me…and I had no idea._

"But then about fifteen years later, I was summoned for jury duty concerning the case of Sarah Rose Trevelyan, to get her name legally changed. It was God's way of telling me that it was time. You were so beautiful that day, Cassandra, like you were taking charge of your life and growing up to be who you always were inside."

She couldn't help blushing, hearing a stranger talk about her so intimately, like he knew her.

"It was madness, not being able to talk to you, or come up to you…tell you who I was and what you meant to me…The moment the court was adjourned, I locked myself in my welding shop and slaved for an entire day to craft the watch you now wear on your wrist."

She looked down at it, unable to believe that the maker was right in front of her. The person who made the watch she'd kept on her wrist for the past seven years was in front of her, in the flesh.

"I spent hours getting everything just right. It had to be convertible so that when you were required to fight, it would turn into an Angel Blade when you needed it. I would've made two, but there wasn't time and it would've looked odd to adorn two watches. A bracelet would not have been sturdy enough to contain a weapon, and there was always the chance it would get stolen or misplaced. A watch would be better suited. I thought everything through, and carved the spell into the back of the watch myself. I used magic to get into your room to give it to you. You were sleeping."

He stopped talking and then looked at Cassandra with eyes that were so sad and full of longing it was a jolt.

"You were beautiful," his voice broke again.

"Amarandos, she began, standing back up, "I'm not – "

But he cut her off and immediately rushed over to her, taking her in his arms. "Oh, my Love, you _are_. The Angel is inside you, and she's beautiful. I've seen her. She's strong and pure and fearless."

"That's not me," she said, trying to pull away from him. "Maybe it was once, but not anymore. Now? I'm just a girl from a small town in Maine who loves classic rock and strawberry pancakes. You don't know who I really am."

"No, _you_ don't know who you really are. All of this resistance is futile. If you just did the spell, we would not be having this conversation. You would understand, and you'd want to be with me. You would see how pointless it is trying to be intimate with a mortal, when he won't even live long enough to – "

"– I love him, and that wouldn't change," she snapped. "I _know_ it wouldn't. And if I do that spell, there's a chance it could kill me."

He suddenly pulled away from her and laughed, his hand holding his forehead. "Yes, if you were just a regular run of the mill Angel. But you, the Great Cassandra would not have much trouble overcoming a human soul."

 _Wait…what. What the hell are you talking about?_ "What the hell are you talking about," she spoke aloud.

He stared at her wide eyed. "You don't know? After the spell is performed, you'll have to confront the human soul that belongs to your vessel."

"Human soul?!" _There's a human inside me?_

"Of course. Angels can possess humans, but only with permission given by the human. However, if the human is too young to deny or allow consent, like a newborn, then permission isn't necessary. But yes, the soul of Sarah Rose resides inside the meat suit that you currently inhabit."

"No. That's impossible. I'm the only person inside this body."

"You don't feel her? I know your abilities must be dimmed, but surely you're not too daft to feel her."

Cassie had to fight it. Fight the anxiety and fear pooling in her stomach.

 _He's here, the voice said._

 _Who?_

 _Don't you feel it?_

 _I'm asleep. I need to wake up._

 _Then do it._

"No," Cassie gasped. No it wasn't true. She was her own person. She was the only person in her body.

 _The voice again. "You should answer that."_

" _Ask him," said the voice._

" _Cut it out! If you get too excited you're gonna wake – "_

 _I thought you didn't want to kill anything for real, remember? A voice from within mocked._

"NO!" Cassie grabbed her head in her hands, falling to the floor.

The voice she kept hearing.

It wasn't just a voice in her head.

 _It's not your fault you weren't good at fitting in, a voice from within her said, we know now why you sucked at it so much._

It was Sarah.


	23. Chapter 23: Caught

Chapter 23

Caught

The voice she'd heard giving snide comments and telling her what to do…the voice that appeared in her dreams.

It had been Sarah.

The entire time, it had been the soul of the body that Cassandra stole.

 _But I didn't mean to,_ she thought. _I was put inside this body. I didn't have any control._

"Darling, none of this is necessary," he pulled her back up from the floor and took her in his arms. "Sarah's soul will be gone and this vessel will belong to you once you perform the spell."

 _Jesus Christ, this guy just doesn't get it_. "Except I'm never going to perform the spell because if I did, then Sarah would win!" she exclaimed, tears streaming from her face. "Because I'd _let_ her!"

Had Cassie really stolen twenty two years of this woman's life? Did Sarah know? Was she aware of everything going on around her, despite having no control over anything?

That sounded like a living nightmare.

And how could you escape something like that when it's your own body?

Cassie knew that if she ever had to confront Sarah, she wouldn't be able to beat her.

Because her overwhelming guilt and sympathy for Sarah would win out.

"That's ridiculous, why would you let – "

"JUST DROP EVERYTHING AND FORGET IT!" She needed to be out of his arms and away from him now, but his grip was like a vice.

He ignored her struggling and cries of protest. "I have everything we need for the spell. We can go to my Estate, you don't even have to do anything, all you have to do is sit there. I'll take care of it all, and you can be your old self again…and we can be together. Forever."

Cassie took a few deep breaths, and once his grip on her became tender and loving as opposed to firm and restraining, she pushed him away and stepped back. "Maybe I don't _want_ to be my old self. My old self _killed_ people, Amarandos."

"Only demons," he corrected.

"That doesn't mean they have any less right to live! Angels kill their own kind just because they disobey! How is that any less cruel or harsh than what demons do?"

He stared at her without an answer, as if she had asked him to divide by zero. "This is all because of that human, isn't it? You don't care about the demons you've slaughtered, or how long you've been of this earth, you don't even really care about Sarah. It's him, isn't it? The human, _Sam._ He's the reason you're resisting."

 _I do care about Sarah,_ she thought.

But did she really? Because if she had the choice to give Sarah back her life…

She wouldn't do it, because it meant giving up Sam.

She was making the choice, right now, that stopped Sarah from having a life.

"I love Sam Winchester. I want to be his wife, have his children, and be by his side until the end of our days. If awakening my Grace means losing the feelings I have for him, or forfeiting the chance of that life, then I will _never_ perform the spell."

Amarandos' eyes suddenly became blank of emotion, like he'd put up a wall around them. "Do you really mean that? Is that your final say on the matter?"

She stood in front of him, her gaze unwavering and with a clear, firm voice she said, "Yes."

He walked over to the table and took Cassandra's bag into his hand. "Then I'm sorry for this, Cassandra _._ _Donec dictum somnus mortuos excitare_ _,"_ he said in a rush and pressed his fingers to her forehead.

Suddenly the room began to spin and even though she pushed his fingers away, it was too late.

She recalled the painful coldness of the floor as she fell and her world went black.

* * *

Cassandra was standing in swirling blackness. She reached out her hand to feel for a wall, or door, anything.

But there was nothing.

But then suddenly there was a voice.

"You have to wake up. He roofied us with his mind or something, but you can fight through it."

Cassandra turned around to see a young girl standing before her, with long blonde hair that cascaded down her back and chocolate brown eyes.

She was dressed in the way that a young, flirty twenty year old would be, in low rise jeans, a belly ring and skimpy pink tank top with green flip flops and a choker necklace.

Sarah.

"You want me to fight it so you can have a chance at taking control." Cassie said without any malice. It was just a statement of fact.

Sarah grinned. "Well don't _you_ look pretty? I don't think you've ever worn a dress in your whole _life._ Well, I mean there _was_ that time at Daddy's funeral –"

"– SHUT UP!" _No, you're not going to bring up Dad._

"Why would that upset you? He was _my_ father. You're an Angel. You don't _have_ a father. Well, except for your _God_ , anyway."

"Shut the hell up and get out of my head!" Cassie said.

She laughed, but it was bitter. "Oh _that's_ rich. _Me_ get out of _your_ head. It's kind of the other way around, _bitch_. _You're_ the one who needs to get out of _my_ head, and you know it– "

Sam. If she could just remember Sam. How tender he was with her, the blue and green tints in his eyes, the feeling of waking up next to him, being in his arms, skin against skin…

And _Suan Ywe Gou_. He gave it to her because he thought she was strong enough to use it.

 _I'm strong. I can get through this._

 _Wake up. Wake up Wake up Wake –_

Cassandra finally opened her eyes. Her sight was blurry but she could tell she was laying down on something soft. Satin sheets brushed against her skin.

She tried to flip over but her wrists were tied.

Cassie's sight began to focus.

She was in what looked like a medieval bed chamber. The floor was made of stone and the walls were ancient brick. There were no windows, like they were in a basement.

 _Oh my God I'm tied down to a bed_. That was when she went into Panic mode.

"See Sarah," she said out loud. "Did you ever think that maybe Amarandos wanted to have his way with me first before he did the spell?!

 _Don't be stupid_ , Sarah said back, but Cassandra felt the fear emanating from her.

Now that she'd seen Sarah in her mind, there was no way of ignoring her.

 _Well, it's fine,_ Sarah said. _This means I get my life back once I beat your ass._

Cassie scoffed, and talked out loud. "Oh, really? Well, think about this. Even if you win, and you get control of this body and kill me, guess who's still going to be tied to a bed inside a windowless room? And what do you think is going to happen to you if Amarandos figures out I'm not _me_ anymore? You think he's going to be _happy_ about that?"

 _Fuck,_ Sarah said, and then Cassie felt the anxiety pooling from her.

"He'll be outraged. He spent thousands of years making preparations to awaken my Grace. You really think he's just going to _let you go_ if you win control? Our hands are tied. _Literally_. He can do whatever he wants with you, even kill you. And who would come for you? I have no way of contacting Sam, and you're a no one. _No one knows you."_

 _STOP JUST STOP PLEASE!_ Sarah screamed.

"We both need to find a way out of this. Because either way, there is no scenario in which this ends well for you," she said bitterly.

 _Dammit!_ Cassie felt her frustration at being stuck between a rock and a hard place. _I hate you._

Cassie flinched.

She suddenly heard footsteps approaching from down a hall and stopped talking.

"You need to help me Sarah, for both of us," Cassie said.

The door opened. "So you've had the opportunity to meet Sarah? That's good. Enemies should be well acquainted before going into battle with each other." He stepped out of it wearing just a white dress shirt and black dress pants, his dress coat and shoes from earlier taken off.

He started to walk towards her.

"I'm surprised. Normally the spell lasts a lot longer but you woke up after just ten minutes. Proof of your power, no doubt."

"Don't touch me!" she exclaimed, getting ready to kick him if he got too close. She teared up a bit, because her protective side kicked in.

She wasn't just defending herself now.

Despite the resentment and guilt she felt towards Sarah, she also felt a responsibility to her.

To protect her.

He emanated irritability and annoyance. "I didn't do anything to your vessel, Cassandra. I like the intimacy I experience with a woman to be while she's _conscious_. It bothers me that you think so little of me."

"Oh, it does?! YOU'RE NOT THE ONE TIED TO A BED IN THE SKIMPIEST OUTFIT YOU'VE EVER WORN IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!"

 _Score one for you,_ Sarah said.

He flinched at her words, like her situation pained him. "I only did what was necessary. I didn't _harm_ you. I will _never_ harm you. I love you."

"No, you're _obsessed_ with me. You don't know what love is. _Sam_ loves me!" She knew in her heart that it was true.

"I am _done_ with hearing about that flannel-clad denim doormat you call _lover_ ," he said the last word like it was a curse word he hated using. He started pouring some kind of oil on her.

She wriggled away trying not to let it touch her skin but in minutes she soaked with the oil. It ran down to her breasts but she managed to stop it form going between her legs. She needed to keep the phone dry and hidden.

"This is a potion. It took me centuries to gather all of the ingredients to make it, and five attempts to get it right. After a bit of blood and a few words in Latin, your body will go into a state of sleep, and you will fight Sarah. Once you win, this vessel will be yours and you'll see that I'm the one meant to be with you for all time."

"Fuck you!" she spat, kicking him in the face. He fell to the ground. "It was a big mistake not tying my ankles," she growled.

He stood back up however, as if the kick did nothing. He wasn't even bruised.

 _Shit._

 _This guy didn't need to roofy me, or lock me in a room or even have a weapon on him. All he had to do was touch me and he had complete control._

She prepared herself for the wrong kind of man.

This man was an immortal, skilled in the art of magic, and she didn't have a chance.

She never did.

But she had one weapon left. "You really think that if this spell works, I'm going to love you?"

Sam would find her. She had faith in him. All she had to do was stall for time.

"What if I become a cold, hard soldier? A servant to God who doesn't have any _interest_ in love? At least as a human with emotions and feelings you have a chance of winning my affections but as an _Angel?_ Even if you tied me here and decided to fuck me you'd be screwing a marble statue!"

"ENOUGH!" He had reached his breaking point. He pulled up the cuff of his shirt and took out a blade he'd stashed in his slacks and slit his wrist, using the blood to draw symbols on the wall above her head. "That's not going to happen."

"You sure you're not gonna mess this up?" she said quietly.

He froze. "I would not dare to perform this spell if there was a chance I would make a mistake and put your Grace in jeopardy. I've practiced these procedures until I was able to execute them flawlessly."

 _You have to lie to him,_ Sarah suddenly said. _Come up with something. Anything. Any excuse to get out of the room so you can text Sam_.

 _Text him what?_ Cassie thought.

 _Our location, Idiot! Where do you think we are?!_

Cassie suddenly remembered _._

 _I have everything we need for the spell. We can go to my Estate, you don't even have to do anything. All you have to do is sit there._

 _The Estate._

"You really do care about me," she muttered so he was barely able to hear.

Once again he stopped drawing symbols. "What did you say?"

She sighed. "All of the preparation, the time you spent protecting my grace, then even moving away from your home to make sure I was safe all my life…I'm sorry," she said, looking away.

"W-what?" he said. He bent down to her level.

 _Pretend you're talking to Sam_ , she told herself, then looked deep into his dark eyes, imaging they were the hazel ones. "I'm sorry I lashed out at you. It's just…I'm afraid."

"You're strong enough to overcome Sarah's soul, I just know it."

"That's not why I'm afraid," she whispered.

 _You have his attention, keep going…_

"I…I'm just…I mean how much you love me…your infatuation. It's so intense. It's a lot for me to process and take in. That kind of love is intimidating," she said with a shaky tone, avoiding his eyes.

He smiled and cupped her face. "Oh, my Darling…it's nothing to be afraid of."

She gazed into his eyes again. "I…It's daunting because I've…I've never…"

His eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh, no…you can't tell me you've never been to bed with a man," he said, as if it was too good to be true.

 _Not until recently._ "Well, it's just not something I ever seem to get around to, is it? I mean, did I do any of that before?"

He sighed. "No, you didn't. You had many men, immortals and mortal alike, pining for your affections but to no avail."

"I've never been kissed either," she said, barely audible.

 _I have to,_ she told Sarah. _It's the only way he'll let us go._

 _I know, but make it quick. This guy is a sleaze ball._

His eyes suddenly filled with unquenched desire. "I can remedy that," and his mouth was on hers.

His kisses were teasing and biting, not like Sam at all.

 _Don't think about that, she told herself._ She faked a moan and wriggled around as he started to kiss her more thoroughly.

 _Don't think about it don't think about it don't think about it…._ But he tasted like alcohol _._

"P-please," she whimpered. "I want…" she struggled against the restraints.

Without any hesitation he leaned up to untie them and then immediately went back to kissing her. Her hands went into his hair and she pretended to whine and moan at the feel of his hair between her fingers.

"Oh, my Cassandra…I've dreamt of this for so long," she said huskily, running his hands all up and down her body. But then his hand froze over where her underwear was.

 _Shit, he's gonna find the phone_. She had to get out of there, fast.

"W-wait," she said, shaking and out of breath. "This is happening really fast," she said, hiding in his shoulder.

He gazed at her with adoring eyes. "Of course. I'm sorry my love, I got carried away."

"I…I just need a moment. May I use the bathroom?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "You haven't drank anything," he said.

 _Shit, that's right. I was too afraid he'd put something into my drink so I didn't drink anything._ "N-not to go to the bathroom, just to um…collect my thoughts. A moment to prepare myself," she said looking at him with flushed cheeks, feigning desire. "I want it. I just…I just need a minute. A lot is happening so quickly. I'll probably feel better after some water on my face and something to drink."

He suddenly got a look of suspicion. "You're not going to sneak off and contact anyone to run away?"

She shook her head and laughed. "You took my purse, remember? I couldn't even if I wanted to. You really think I'm hiding something in this?" she gestured to her dress. "I don't even have on a bra or underwear," she half lied.

He bit his lip, as if the thought was very appealing. "Fair point. Make it quick, darling. I've been patient for a very…very long time and I'm afraid it's running out," he breathed. "Come with me," he said.

He took her hand and led her out of the room up some stairs to a grand hallway, and put her in front of a door. "Here," he said.

She smiled and winked. "I won't be long, Amarandos," she said, and slipped in.

She went to lock the door but was frustrated that there wasn't a lock. And once again no windows.

 _Dammit._

She ran the water on the sink and quickly took out the phone from her underwear. The water masked the clicking of the phone as she texted and she immediately typed.

 _Brontes Estate. Basement. Help._ To Sam.

She pressed the send button and hid it back in her underwear. Then started splashing water on her face and rubbed it dry with a towel.

With the makeup gone, she looked more like her old self.

But even in the mirror she could see she was terrified.

 _Hide it,_ Sarah snarled at her.

She practiced smiling in the mirror, then took a drink from the sink and wiped her mouth with a towel.

Without warning he opened the door and stepped in, delighted to see she was doing exactly what she said she was doing.

 _Stall,_ Sarah egged on.

Cassie looked down at his bloody arm and said, "Oh, do you want me to wash that for you?"

He shook his head. "It's fine, dear. I still need to finish drawing symbols for the spell, remember?"

"Oh," Cassie said. "But I thought…weren't we going to…" she looked down at the floor as if she were too shy to ask.

He suddenly took a sharp intake of breath, realizing what she was asking. "Oh, my Darling…it's so tempting, seeing you like this…but I want to make love to you after you transform," he said.

 _Pretend he's Sam, pretend he's Sam, pretend he's Sam, pretend he's Sam…._

"But…how do I know it will feel the same? I mean I don't know if Angels crave intimacy the way humans do, and I…I really want it…want…you…" she looked up at him with red cheeks.

"My Darling," he said, taking her arms in his hands and standing close to her.

"Please," she said, looking up at him, "You told me you couldn't deny me anything. Please don't deny me this. My last moments as a human…I want them to be with you…I want my first to be with you," she said, leaning up to kiss him.

 _You're playing the part a little_ _ **too**_ _well,_ Sarah said.

 _I have to or he won't believe me._

He moaned at the feeling of her lips on his and he shuddered. "Alright, Dearest. I'll let you wash it for me. We'll do the spell afterwards," he gave in.

She forced a smile and took his arm, rinsing it with the water, cleaning off the blood with her fingertips.

It didn't take long to finish but she needed to stall. She looked up at him so he couldn't see his arm. "What kind of ingredients did you need for the spell anyway," she said, making her voice a girlier tone.

He noticed and he grinned, puffing out his chest a bit. "Most of it took me hundreds of years to find. Things like the charred bones of a royal Egyptian infant. That alone took me five hundred years because infancy deaths weren't common, and especially not royal ones. And there's also the matter of finding the tomb once you find a royal family to take from. The blood of a dragon is also hard to come by, since they're so elusive, and the tip of a unicorn's horn. But the unicorn had to be exactly four hundred and fifty eight years old, to the day of collecting the tip of the horn, and they have to be born on the night of a quarter moon. It's hard enough trying to find a unicorn, let alone figuring out its age, and then acquiring the tip of the horn is another matter entirely, they are not the most polite of creatures. They are a cousin to the horse, after all, which makes them extremely temperamental – "

She let him ramble on and on, trying not to think about the fact that every ingredient he listed happened to be on her skin as he spoke, and she nodded and listened like she was paying very close attention.

But eventually he noticed. "I think my wound is clean now," he said.

She looked down, "Oh, I'm sorry. I just got so absorbed with what you were saying," she lied, giggling.

He smiled. "It's quite alright, my Darling." He led her by the hand back down the hallway and down the stairs.

 _Shit this is bad. Sam has to get here soon_.

She stalled as much as she could've. But she was still short on time because now not only did she have to avoid the spell, she had to avoid….

 _Don't think about it._

Her heart was pounding in her chest as they went down each step, descending farther and farther down into darkness.

 _He'll find me,_ she repeated to herself. _He'll find me, He'll find me…_

And suddenly she was jerked forward and thrown down the rest of the stairs.

She felt something inside her crunch and she cried out with pain.

He descended down the stairs like some kind of villain straight out of a movie. "Do you think I'm stupid?" He said in a dark tone.

 _Shit, he knows!_

"Amarandos, what are you doing?!" she cried, backing up against the wall.

"You really think I don't know what game you're playing? You're stalling for time. You're trying to avoid the inevitable. Well guess what, Cassandra. I will _ravage_ your body with all the desire that's built up inside me for the past millennia, and I'll do it to your Angel form, whether you want it or not."

 _Oh…my…God…_

This was bad. This was _beyond_ bad.

He pulled her back up to standing position by her arm, making her cry out again in pain. "You're a smart girl, Cassandra. You chose not to eat or drink anything because you thought I'd drug you. You were suspicious when I brought you to a room that was secluded from everyone else, and the second you knew you were tied to a bed you thought I'd done something to your body. And as soon as you knew you were bound, you did everything in your power to get out of your restraints. You are cautious and smart, so I know you've been trying to think your way out of this the entire time. But no more stalling. No more waiting. I'm _done_ waiting, Cassandra, and I'll _have_ my little slice of heaven."

Her lip was bleeding and she was in excruciating pain but she glared up at him. "You really think that's in God's plans? Getting raped by scum like _you_?"

He grinned wickedly. "It's like you said, Darling. God's left the building."


	24. Chapter 24: Wings

Chapter 24

Wings

He was dragging her back down the hall along the floor by her arm. Cassie tried to wriggle away and she was screaming but his grip was firm.

"Please! Let me go!" She cried.

Even through her pain, she was struck with an idea.

As she was being dragged she used her foot to get one of the ballet flats off of her feet.

 _There,_ she thought. _At least if Sam finds this hall he'll know which direction to go._

He'd find her. She knew it.

She voiced it out loud as he was still dragging her. "Sam is going to find me and when he does you're going to _**wish**_ _that you could die!_ "

He dropped her on the ground and then started dragging her by her hair.

"STOOOOOOP!" She screamed, now in excruciating pain, between the throbbing in her head, the pain from her hair, the soreness of her body from being thrown down the stairs and the sting in her arm from being dragged.

Amarandos just laughed. "By the time he finds you, my Darling, it will be too late, and you'll be mine."

* * *

Sam stepped out of the Impala after he parked it down the street from the restaurant and waited for Cassandra to step out of the car in front of him.

He stopped in his tracks at seeing the gown she was wearing.

She was absolutely stunning.

The gown pooled at her ankles like a water fall, and it made her eyes glisten in the restaurant's light.

 _She's so beautiful._ He was awe struck, and it took every fiber in his being not to run to her and protect her the way he desired.

But he could see even from a distance she was apprehensive.

She only carried a small silver purse.

 _What the hell?! There's no way Suan Ywe Gou is in there_.

Which meant it was in the car.

The second she entered the restaurant he ran to the vehicle and opened the back door on the left side.

" _Excuse me,_ Sir, this is a private vehicle!"

It was the servant from the jewelry store, Ikaros.

"I'm just picking up a few of Cassie's things," he said not really caring what Ikaros thought.

He grabbed her backpack which held her clothes and _Suan Ywe Gou_ , her teal Carhartt and boots before running back to the Impala and storing it all in the back seat.

Then Sam sat back in the car and waited.

After a few minutes he got a text from Cassie.

 _I'm upstairs in the room with the mahogany door and silver knob. If I'm not back down within an hour, come find me._

He didn't like that. Upstairs in a room? Why couldn't Amarandos just meet her in the main part of the restaurant?

"No problem," Sam said out loud. He didn't take the risk of texting her back because he knew it could put her in danger.

But he very much wanted to. If she got texts during dinner from him it would a big fat "She's mine" to Amarandos, but it could jeopardize the quality of the information that Cassie got from him.

He couldn't wait to just have her in his arms again as they drove back home.

He needed her beside him and not being able to protect her was maddening.

Suddenly his phone started ringing.

 _Castiel._

He answered. "Cas?"

" _Where's Dean? He's not answering his phone."_ his voice sounded anxious.

Sam sighed. _God forbid it was ever about anyone else._ "Missouri."

" _Give the phone to him."_

"I can't, he's not here."

" _Aren't you with him?"_

"No, I'm with Cassie. We're in Sanford, Maine."

" _Why?"_

"It's her hometown. She's having dinner with someone to get answers."

" _About what?"_

"Her past, and why she was brought back. She's trying to get out of doing the spell by jogging her memory with information."

" _She knows about the spell?!"_ Cas asked with an angry tone.

"Yeah, but it's because _Dean_ told her. She was talking to me about it and said that she doesn't want to do it."

" _Oh. Well…that's good then. Why is Dean in Missouri?"  
_

"Oh, he didn't tell you about his little rendezvous with Crowley?" _There_.

There was a long pause. _"No,"_ Cas said, obviously mad. _"Why is he with Crowley?"_

"They're looking for something called the First blade so they can kill Abaddon."

Sam suddenly heard the bleep of an ending call.

"Go find your boyfriend, Cas. Maybe _you_ can set him straight," he said aloud.

Sam sat there in the dark for about twenty minutes. It hadn't even met the half-hour mark, but he had a bad feeling.

He couldn't see her from where he was. For all he knew, she was getting attacked or worse. She could've lost access to her phone so she couldn't call for help, and what's worse is she didn't have Suan Ywe Gou on her.

Sam couldn't take it anymore.

He went into the trunk and pulled out a black tux.

* * *

Sam walked inside the restaurant and was immediately met at the entrance by a server.

"Good evening Sir. Give me your name please, and I'll have you seated immediately.

 _Shit, there's a list. Plan B._

He pulled out his FBI badge. "Oh, I don't need to be on the list."

The Server's eyes went wide. "Oh. Um, Good Evening Agent. What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for a woman named Cassandra Trevelyan. The local authorities have reason to believe she's in danger."

But then suddenly the Server got a very relaxed expression on his face. "If you are speaking of Lady Cassandra of the Trevelyans, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. She's in very good hands with our Owner and Long-time Sponsor, Sir Amarandos Brontes."

"Yeah, that's kind of the problem," Sam said, glaring. He brushed past the Server and searched for the stairs.

 _Shit._ There were four different sets of stairs, and three of them went up.

 _Where the hell do I…?_

"Sir, I know you're an Agent but you can't just – "

But then Sam grabbed the weasley man by the collar of his shirt and said "You have eight seconds to tell me where I can find her."

"I-I'm not s-sure. I know it's up the stairs to the left," he pointed, "But I don't know which room."

"Good enough for me," Sam said and immediately went up the stairs.

It was quiet and the lights were dim. His body was tense and his ears were alert, listening. He heard a rustling from inside one room and immediately opened the door, his blade in hand.

But it was a young woman, about Cassandra's age with long, dark hair and a silver dress on.

"Oh, honey, you are the reason there's a song about every girl goin' crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man," she purred at him. "I'm Sabine. Care to help me make use of this bed? I'm finger-lickin' good, I promise." She giggled.

Sam's cheeks flushed and he avoided eye contact. "Sorry, I'm taken. I'm looking for Cassandra."

The woman froze. "Are you a hunter?"

 _How'd you guess_? "What makes you ask that?"

"The thing in your hand that looks happy to see me," she smirked. "Maybe you can help me," she said. "I'm guessing you did your research before coming here."

"Maybe," he said. He immediately straightened up and put himself on high alert.

She scoffed, standing up. "Oh, don't be so elusive. You didn't come in here guns a-blazing and you managed to get past our avid Server so you're obviously smart. You know my brother Hektor is dead."

"Yeah, I read it in a news article online. He passed away recently."

She shook her head, and her mouth was set in a hard line. "He didn't pass away. He was killed."

 _What?_ "How?"

"We're immortal. The only thing that can kill us is another immortal. And my brother Hektor loved the Angel, Cassandra. He was given the task by God to protect her Grace up until about twenty years ago, and he was going to be the one who activated her power. But guess who decided to take out the competition?"

"Amarandos," Sam said. "He killed Hektor?"

"Yeah. But you don't exactly turn in your oldest brother for murder, even if it was a family member. And I'm not strong enough to kill him. So I need your help."

"Why would I help you?"

"Because if you kill him off for me, then I'll tell you where he plans on taking her."

 _Taking her?_ "What do you mean?"

"He's ticked off that a mortal won her love over someone as "powerful and handsome" as he is. And he knows there's only one way he can have her."

 _I don't like this. I don't like this at all._ "How?"

She crossed her arms. "If you swear by tonight he'll be dead, I'll tell you everything. It would be of mutual benefit anyway."

"How do I know if everything you tell me is the truth?"

She sighed. "I can't prove it, but what reason would I have to lie? I loved Hektor. Amarandos was always just a power-hungry sore loser, and with him out of the way the family business would fall to me. For the first time in thousands of years, a woman could be in charge. And I'd have my revenge without getting my hands dirty."

It all added up. "Tell me what you know."

She looked Sam square in the eye. "He wants to activate her Grace so they can dance off into the sunset for all eternity and be the perfect power-couple."

 _Son of a bitch._ "He can't."

She laughed. "Oh, yes he _can_. Hours and hours over the years I had to hear him blabbing that Latin crap until he got the spell perfectly right. He's spent his entire existence collecting all the ingredients to perform it. He has the power, the motivation, and the means to do it. Believe me, it's happening."

 _No._ "Believe me, it's _not_. Where is he taking her?"

Her expression turned solemn. "Our Estate. It's five miles from here. If Cassandra decides she doesn't like his plan, he's gonna knock her out with a sleep spell and take her there himself. He was the only one out of the three of us that figured out how to teleport."

 _Son of a bitch_. "Then I have to – "

Her eyes suddenly went wide. "They're there now. I feel it."

 _No! NO! Shit!_ Sam didn't even think, he bolted down the stairs and ran as fast as he could out of the restaurant to the Impala.

He didn't even have time to change clothes, he started up the car, pressed his foot on the accelerator and blew past all the stop lights and other cars.

Five miles. If he went sixty miles an hour he'd be going way over the speed limit and he's hopefully get there in five minutes.

As he was driving he quickly typed directions into the GPS on his phone and followed the instructions.

If he didn't make it in time, and Amarandos performed the spell…

He knew that Cassie was strong, and he told himself that if she ever wanted to perform the spell, he'd let her because he knew her heart and spirit were pure and strong enough to win against Sarah.

But when she was _forced_ to go through it?

 _If it has to happen, fine, but it can't happen like this._

* * *

He was half way there and a text popped up on his phone.

Cassie.

He quickly opened it.

 _Brontes Estate. Basement. Help._

 _No_. His heart dropped. She was trapped. He stashed his gun into his pants and took off running.

He climbed over the Iron Gate to get inside and ran for the entrance.

But there were two armed guards manning the front door.

 _Shit._ He had to get in somehow.

He ran across the property when the guards weren't looking and stayed out of the lights that illuminated the pathways until he made it to the side of the house.

There were several windows, but none of them were open.

 _There has to be a way to get in._

Normally if he were with Dean they'd just fight off the guys and get through, but Sam couldn't take them all by himself. He couldn't let the panic set in, he had to let himself go into hunter mode.

 _I have to be smart about this, or I might not make it to her._

He was suddenly struck with an idea. He started making a lot of noise, taking rocks from the property and throwing them at one of the windows until he made the glass shatter.

Then he bolted running around the other side of the house. He heard the footsteps of the guards behind him who came to inspect the damage and who made the sound.

 _Yes_. He grabbed his lock picking set out of his jacket pocket as he was running because he knew there wasn't a guarantee that the door would be unlocked.

Once he made it to the front door, he checked.

Locked.

He quickly set to work, trying to calm his shaking hands.

He had maybe two minutes tops before the guards would come back to their posts.

He managed to get the lock undone with seconds to spare but by that time the guards had already started walking back.

And they saw him.

"Hey! WHO ARE YOU?!" They asked immediately running at Sam.

But Sam bolted inside the house and then locked the door behind him.

It didn't buy him much time, but hopefully enough.

 _I'm never doing this again,_ he thought as he ran through the house, looking for the entrance to the basement. _I'm never letting her go someplace unarmed and alone ever again. I have to be there for her._

He knew she was strong willed and resilient, but she was hardly a match in a fight even under normal circumstances.

And she definitely couldn't fight in a dress like that, let alone without _Suan Ywe Gou._

He'd been keeping track of time in his head. It had been five minutes since Cassie sent that last text.

But a lot could've happened in five minutes.

 _Think. Think._

She sent a text with the bare minimum amount of information. It had been sent in a rush which meant she had probably done it in a place where Amarandos couldn't see because she was trying to be secretive about it. So where was a place that she could do something in private without him interfering?

 _Bathroom._

He opened doors, searching for a bathroom and he finally found it. Inside the sink was a pinkish tint.

Like blood.

"No," Sam said out loud. _If he made her bleed I'm going to kill that Son of a Bitch I don't care if he's immortal._

Parallel to the bathroom door was a set of stairs that went down.

He dashed down but then was met with a narrow hallway that forked in two directions.

 _Which way do I go?_ He thought.

He could spend two minutes going down one direction and then be too late coming back to check the other side.

Cassie's life hung on his decision.

He couldn't make a mistake.

Sam glanced down both of them, but then in the dim light on the left side, he saw something shining on the floor.

He dashed to it and saw it was a small silver shoe, size 7.

And it had blood on it.

It mad his heart lurch in his chest and he almost lost it right then and there.

 _No, you have to hold it together. Find her._

He bolted running, getting his gun out and slamming open doors.

 _I'm coming, Cassie._

* * *

Amarandos managed to have her wrists tied to the bed again and he reopened his cut to bleed, dipping his fingers in the blood to draw more symbols on the wall.

 _He'll find me, He'll find me._

She would not lose hope.

Because that meant Amarandos had already won.

 _Come on think. Think of a way to stall for more time_.

 _Maybe try using your Angel mojo_ , Sarah said.

Bloody, bruised and in pain, Cassie felt defeated.

 _What do you mean?_

 _Like, you know! If there's a time to start praying, it would be now._

 _Praying?_

She'd never tried it before.

She willed herself to stop crying and took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

She let it all go.

The fact she was in pain.

Tied to a bed inside a basement.

She let everything fall away and after a few deep breaths she listened.

She tightened her core, took a lot of air into her chest and listened _hard._

 _God,_ she prayed.

 _God. I need your help. Please. What do I do?_

She was suddenly crying again.

God hadn't been there for her once in her life.

Not once.

When she was starving, when she was on the run, when she was dead tired, when her father died.

But she'd shut him out. She hadn't given him a chance.

 _I'm putting faith in you, Father,_ she said weakly in her head. _Please_.

She had needed him when she was at her Dad's funeral…

But wait.

 _Think about that_ , Sarah said.

Her father died for no reason.

He was in perfect health.

Or maybe he _hadn't_ died for no reason.

Because if he hadn't died, then she never would've left Sanford and been put into foster care.

She never would've ended up in Vermont.

She never would've killed all those people in that Concert hall.

And gone on the run…

Ended up in Kansas…

And the epiphany hit her hard and fast like a freight train.

 _I never would've met Sam._

 _Or Dean, Or Castiel._

And then it was all clear to her.

 _I was **meant** to find them. All of this, everything that happened…it all pushed me closer to them_.

Little by little over the past six years, she was pushed by circumstance closer and closer west, finally ending up at the Men of Letters' Headquarters.

Suddenly Cassie felt so much stronger. So much more full of power and resilience.

Because now she knew.

Cassie knew that she was meant to end up in this very spot because Sam was meant to find her.

Which is why no matter what, he'd _always_ find her.

 _I don't have to be afraid._

She laughed out loud.

Amarandos wasn't the one in power.

No one compared to the power of God.

 _And God wanted me to find my brother, and Sam, and Dean._

All of it was so they'd find her.

He planned everything from the beginning.

 _He knew I needed them._

Amarandos grew more furious because he didn't realize why she was laughing.

He slapped her.

"Stop that," he commanded, but she didn't stop laughing.

"Oh, you are in such deep shit, Amy," she jeered.

He hit her again.

 _Hit me as much as you want, it doesn't change the fact that you're a dead man._

"What the hell is so damn funny?!" He screeched.

She grinned at him. "You made a lot of mistakes, Darling."

"Oh, I don't think so," she sneered, "I think I have you right where I want you."

"Not quite. There were a few miscalculations," she whispered. "Number one, you took into account that I'm smart, but you didn't figure _how_ smart." She wiggled her foot in front of him.

The one without a shoe.

His eyes widened.

"I left breadcrumbs, dumbass," she said. "Mistake number two, you never figured out why God made you wait two thousand years to awaken me."

By this point he was shaking with anger. "And why is that, _Dearest_?" he snarled.

She leaned her head up so she could say it in his face.

"So I could meet Sam," she whispered with a grin.

"SHUT UP!" He hit her again.

It stung and her body clenched to absorb the pain but she wasn't finished.

"One last mistake," she said weakly and a bit muddled, blood dripping from her nose. She heard approaching footsteps from outside the door. Cassie stared up at Amarandos with a glare of defiance one last time and whispered, _"I'm_ not the one you want tied up."

Amarandos suddenly yelled out in pain. He'd been shot in the chest from behind.

Standing there, his eyes full of fury and blood lust, his face flushed like he'd been running and a gun in his hand, was Sam.

In the tux, he was reminiscent of James Bond or some secret agent and it made her smile.

" _He's_ the one you want tied up, _Amy_ ," she mocked.

But then Amarandos did the unthinkable. He pulled out the knife he'd used to slice his arm and threw it at Sam, pinning him to the wall.

"NOOO!" Cassie screeched.

Sam struggled against the knife, trying to pull it out but then Amarandos stretched his hand out and suddenly Sam was frozen in place.

"GAAHH!" he cried out.

"I am sick of you interfering with my plans! I didn't spend thousands of years protecting Casandra's Grace so some human scum could swoop in and steal her away from me!"

"That's right," Sam gasped. "You didn't. Your _brother_ did. That's why you killed him, right? Your brother Hektor?"

"SILENCE! LIES!" Amarandos said, lunging at Sam and punching him in the face.

"STOOPP!" Cassie cried at the top of her lungs.

But Sam just grinned and faced Amarandos again. "Really? I'm just repeating what Sabine told me."

Amarandos growled. "My sister? She wouldn't dare."

"Oh, she did. She told me everything. Where you'd be, what your plan was, down to the last detail. She wants you dead, something she and I have in common."

"Well it's not happening," Amarandos glared at him and then started hitting Sam.

Over.

And over.

And over.

And he wouldn't stop.

Cassie struggled against the restraints and wouldn't stop screaming.

"STOP PLEASE STOP STOP SAAAMMM!"

 _Sing,_ Sarah said.

Cassie suddenly gasped.

 _Sing._

The last time she'd really sang was that night…

But she had to do it.

It was the only way to get out of this.

She took a deep breath and began. "And with a broookeeen wiiiiing," she said weakly.

Amarandos stopped and turned around.

Even after screaming and using her voice too much, her voice was still hypnotizing.

"She stiiiiill siiiiings," she continued. "She keeps her eeeeye ooon theee skyyyyyyy," she sang louder.

"WIIIIITH AAAAA BROOKEEEN WIIIIING, SHE CARRIIIEEESSS HEEEEEEER DREEAAAAMMSSS…."

Sam suddenly put two and two together and figured out what she was trying to do.

 _On the night of a chorus concert in my sophomore year of high school, I had a solo. It was_ _ **A Broken Wing**_ _by_ _ **Martina McBride**_ _and it's a song that requires very powerful vocals. On the last note I had to sustain it for a very long time –_

 _Son of a bitch_. Sam immediately put his hand over his ears.

"MAN YOOOU OOOOOOOUTTAAAA SEEEEEEEE HEEEERRRRRRRR FLYYYYYYYYY!"

Once she hit that last note her voice changed to a frequency that shattered more than glass.

It shattered ear drums.

"AHHHH!" The walls started shaking, the light bulbs in the ceiling broke and everything went dark. Amarandos tried to cover his ears but he had fallen to the ground and he didn't have the strength to move his arms. The sound was so deafening it crippled him.

The walls started to crack and Amarandos' psychic hold on Sam broke. Sam immediately wriggled himself free from the knife, ruining his jacket in the process but he didn't care.

He was free.

After a few more moments of sustaining the note Amarandos' head literally exploded.

Blood spattered all over the walls, Sam, and Cassie, staining her blue dress.

Finally she stopped singing and gasped for air, tears streaming down her face.

And everything was silent and dark.

But they didn't have much time.

Sam knew it, too.

He ran over to Cassie, made quick work using his knife to cut her restraints and picked her up.

Sam could hear the walls collapsing above him.

 _We're going to be buried alive or crushed to death if we don't get out of here._

He ran back down the hall and up the stairs, searching frantically for the front door.

But pieces of the foundation had collapsed. There was a giant chasm where the floor used to be.

They couldn't get to it.

 _Shit._

Their only chance was the window.

Sam put Cassie down and took his jacket off, using it as a shield, then smashed his arm through the window hard, four times to shatter the glass.

He gingerly picked up Cassie again, and jumped out of it holding her before a beam from the wall could fall on top of them. It was quite a distance from the ground and his arm got sprained after falling hard onto the grass.

 _Shit._ Despite the stinging pain, he stood back up, holding Cassie and ran as fast as he could away from the Estate.

But there was still the matter of the front gate.

He couldn't climb it with one arm, and especially not while holding Cassie.

"Cassie, you're going to have to climb this and leave. Run to the Impala – "

"I'm not leaving you," she said, her voice hoarse.

But then she was struck with an idea. Her luck had been pretty good so far.

The watch on her wrist.

"Baby, you have to. I'll boost you up, you can get help – "

"Kiss me, Sam," she whispered, looking up into his eyes.

Sam's eyes were full of sorrow and anxiety. "Cassie – "

"Kiss me," she said again, her arms wrapping around his neck.

 _I need the taste of that scumbag out of my mouth and his touch off of my skin. I need you, Sam._

He leaned down and with all of the sweetness and worry and hurt he was feeling, he poured his heart and soul into her and pressed his lips to hers.

It gave her the strength she needed.

As naturally as breathing, her watch transformed and turned cold and metallic in her hand.

It had morphed into a blade.

Quickly and without hesitation she jumped out of Sam's arms and thrust the blade at the gate, over and over, making an X motion with the strength she had left. She was weak and the ground shook from the collapsing foundation of the Estate but she managed to keep slicing the gate, fueled by nothing but sheer will and determination.

 _I have to save him. I have to save us. I want to go home and see my brother and fight with Dean and make love to Sam and get the hell out of this **god forsaken dress!**_

The gate finally gave in and broke.

Sam stood there for a moment, completely awestruck and unbelieving, but eventually came to and grabbed her hand, running towards the car.

They both made it out as the Estate finally collapsed into nothing but a pile of rubble and stone.

Once they had both made it into the car with the doors closed, and locked. They finally stopped to breathe.

Sam's lungs were burning and his arm stung. But he was safe, and Cassie was safe.

But holy crap did she take a beating.

Bruises were blossoming all over her arms and legs, her lips were bleeding and her hair was a wreck, like she'd been dragged by it. She also smelled odd, and some slick wet substance was all over her dress and her skin.

She collapsed and fell into Sam's lap, immediately passing out.

* * *

When she woke up, she felt very sore, but pleasant at the same time. Warm.

She was in someone's arms, sitting against someone's chest and she was wet.

Her eyes fluttered open and she realized she was in water.

The lights were off in the bathroom except for a candle and she was in her old bathtub.

 _I'm in my house._

And the person holding her was Sam.

He didn't know she was awake yet, but he was taking water from the tub and running it through her hair, picking out the silver leaves that Sabine had woven in and rubbing shampoo into her scalp.

It stung but he did it gently so it wasn't as bad, and then he rinsed her hair with the water he'd cupped in his hands.

Everything hurt, but Sam was doing his best to be gentle.

It was a relief to have that god awful potion out of her pores and the lavender oil Sabine had rubbed all over her gone.

She would forever hate the smell of lavender and rosemary after this.

"Sam," she said weakly, leaning into his warmth.

He froze. "Hey. I hope this is okay," he said, his hand cupping her face.

She nodded, not really able to talk.

He shuddered. "We both needed to clean our wounds before I bandage them up and I thought this would be relaxing for you," he said gently.

She nodded, her eyes closing again. "Yes," was all she said.

"Cassie…I'm so…so proud of you," his voice was quiet. "You never cease to amaze me." He kissed the top of her head. "You were incredible…and I should've…" _I should've been there to protect you._

She reached a hand up to press a finger to his lips but then noticed her watch wasn't on her wrist.

She froze in panic.

Sam smiled warmly. "Looking for this?" he asked and his hand reached out of the tub to pick up something from the floor.

And handed her a silver blade with a smooth, cold handle.

A trident was carved into the top of it.

"This is my watch?" she said weakly with surprise. It felt…familiar in her hand.

She knew it was her watch, yet it _wasn't_ at the same time.

"You made it transform. You saved us," he said.

She turned around in the tub so she was facing him, her eyes uncomprehending.

And then it all came rushing back to her.

Being trapped in the basement, being thrown and beaten and slapped and tossed around by Amarandos. Seeing Sam almost getting beaten to death himself…Jumping out of a window, barely escaping with their lives by the skin of their teeth, the feeling of hopelessness and desperation…

She saw that he had cuts and bruises on his face and she teared up. "S-Sam," she said, reaching to touch his face and her eyes immediately pooled up.

And then everything that had happened in the past four hours crashed over her and she broke down.

Sam didn't stop her, holding her close to him and whispering soothing words as he let her sob into his chest.

It was peaceful. Eventually the stillness of the night and the warmth of the bath and Sam calmed her down, and she drifted to sleep. Sam finished washing them both of the blood and oil that clung to them then picked her up and walked her to her room, placing her down in bed and not bothering to dress her.

He moved the candle from the bathroom to the nightstand in her room, dried himself off, then did his best to dry her off without being too invasive and gently lifted her head so he could place a dry towel on the pillow to soak up the water from her hair.

Through all of the tussling around he did she didn't wake once.

After getting dressed in a pair of boxers and T-shirt he burrowed into bed with her under the covers and held her close, keeping her warm and from getting sick.

No matter what, from now on, he'd do anything in his power to protect his little angel.

He breathed in the scent of her hair, his strong arms encompassing her waist.

As Sam was falling asleep, the lyrics to that song jumped out at him, and tugged at his heart when he realized how much emotion, loneliness and meaning that Cassie gave to them when she sang.

 _And with a broken wing_

 _She still sings_

 _She keeps an eye on the sky_

 _With a broken wing_

 _She carries her dreams_

 _Man you outta see her fly_

 _Someday, we all will_ , Sam thought, and fell asleep.


	25. Chapter 25: Moving On

**Author's Note: Hey guys :D I just wanted to shoot out a quick thank you to all of the viewers who write reviews of encouragement and the motivation you give me to continue writing this story :) It's become a lot more complex and bigger than I ever thought it would be. I especially didn't expect to make it 25 chapters, so you guys can pat yourselves on the back!**

 **Also, please let me know if a playlist would be a good idea to have for this story. I listen to a certain set of songs whenever I'm writing this to get me into the right mood, and of of course there's all of the songs mentioned in this which I do not claim the rights to.**

 **Let me know :3**

 **-XeroSanity**

Chapter 25

Moving On

In the morning, Sam woke up, wrapped around Cassie to find that he wasn't in pain.

 _At all._

 _I should be,_ he thought. He'd sprained his arm from falling out of a window the night before, and his face had been bashed in by Amarandos.

But he was okay.

He touched his face and felt that all the cuts had not only healed, it was like they were never there in the first place.

Sam lifted up the comforter to look at Cassandra.

He blushed when he remembered she wasn't wearing any clothes, but his heart got caught in his throat when he saw her.

Her hips, arms and legs were bruised up very badly, and she still had blood on her bottom lip that had scabbed over from healing.

Sam knew that Angels had the ability to heal people almost instantaneously, but could Cassie do it, let alone do it _in her sleep_?

It was definitely a possibility, but right now Sam didn't have time to ponder about it.

They had to get the hell out of Sanford.

But seeing her like that, bruised and broken, he didn't have the heart to wake her yet. She looked so frail and exhausted. Sam put the duvet comforter back over her and made sure to tuck it in around her so she'd stay warm.

After a quick shower and loading up the last of their belongings in the Impala, Sam grabbed Cassie's backpack and brought it back in so she could change into regular clothes.

He looked down at Cassie again.

In the past week, she'd evoked feelings in him he didn't know he was capable of having anymore.

She gave him hope. He was always so afraid of falling in love because he didn't want the woman he cared about getting hurt.

Or worse.

But it was almost as if being around her was…healing him.

And not just on the outside.

He was finding himself capable of trusting others, and being able to depend on them.

It made him realize that the resentment he felt towards Dean for making him stop when he was about to complete the trials, the anger and betrayal he clung to when Dean tricked him into having Gadreel possess him…

He had to let it all go, and move on.

Because now he had a future to move on _to._

He was about to wake Cassie, but then was suddenly struck with an idea.

He went into her desk and grabbed a scrap of paper and wrote on it, putting it on her night stand.

He blew out the candle, which overnight had given the room a comforting, warm vanilla smell, and silently stepped out so she could keep sleeping.

To be safe, he made a production of lining all the windows, cracks and doors in the house with salt so she'd be safe when he was gone.

He had one last errand to do before they went home.

* * *

Sam found himself at Brontes jewelry store again, and was once more greeted by Ikaros.

"Hello again," he said, disgruntlement in his tone but not the desire to kill him where he stood.

 _It's a good starting point._ "I need to talk to Sabine."

Ikaros was surprised that Sam knew her name, let alone that he wanted to speak with her. "She's in our main office. I'll let her know you're here."

Ikaros went through the door behind the jewelry counter. There was some muffled talking for a few moments before he peaked his head out and said, "Come in."

Sam nodded, and stooped down to get into the door.

Inside was a Persian-style office which was decorated with a harmonious blend of brightly colored rugs and throw pillows and black modern-looking furniture.

The space was also lit with an ancient-looking iron chandelier, which used light bulbs instead of candles.

"Ah, the human who offed my brother and destroyed my house," Sabine said, but she had a smile on her face. "I owe you my thanks."

"That's good," Sam said, sitting down. "Because I need a favor."

Sabine was dressed in black capris and a light blue tunic, wearing no shoes but silver anklets that wound up her ankles. "What do you want?" she asked.

Sam said very seriously, "I want you to make a necklace."

She raised an eyebrow, her smile full of mischief. "And this necklace is for a special someone?" she asked.

He nodded. "Can you make it look something like this?" He pulled his shirt down so she could see the part of his chest over his heart.

She looked at the tattoo with curiosity, and nodded. "Yes, I can. Demon protection?"

"Yep," Sam said.

"And why would your special someone need that?"

Sam looked at her dead on. "I know it's impossible to keep Cassie a secret forever. The King of Hell already knows about her and the second he figures out that she's an Angel with her wings clipped he's going to do everything in his power to get to her."

"I see," Sabine said. "And the thought of her squirming in pain while getting ink carved into her skin doesn't appeal to you?" She didn't say it with the intention of making him uncomfortable, but the image surfaced in Sam's mine and made him flinch anyway.

"How much longer are you staying in town?" she asked.

Sam shook his head. "Not long. Maybe two hours. Cassie's still sleeping and by the time she wakes up she's gonna want to be as far away from here as possible."

Sabine nodded, biting her lip in thought. "I can have it done in four, if I do it myself. What material do you want it made out of?"

"silver and iron, with salt mixed in, if possible."

"I can do you one better. It'll have salt crystals placed into it to give it that extra sparkle. Make it a bit more feminine. Women love big rocks," she grinned.

"Fine."

"The amount will come to about… $32,000."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Is that how much you _usually_ charge your clients?"

"Heavens no, it's much more. But it _is_ a custom made piece and the amount of time I have to work on it is so little, not to mention it's a commission from a _hunter_ on such short notice – "

"– Cassie is the one who killed your brother, not me. You can consider this a thank you gift to her. Your brother was a power-hungry psycho who almost _killed_ her. He was willing to kill his own brother, and I'm sure it would've been only a matter of time before he tried to gank you too. She saved your life, and now you're the head of your own Empire."

"There isn't a guarantee that he would've killed me, and she destroyed my house in the process."

"You tell me," Sam said crossing his arms. "You knew your brother better than I did. If given the opportunity under the right circumstances, do you really think he wouldn't have tried?

Sabine fell silent, and then looked down as if she were going through in her mind all the events where he almost killed her or could've.

"She insured your security and safety. The least you can do is return the favor."

She sighed, but then looked up at him. "I'll have it done in five. You don't owe me anything and neither does she, but this makes us even. After you pick up the necklace today, I don't want to see you here ever again."

"You won't," he replied.

* * *

Cassie slept for another three hours before finally waking up.

But her heart raced with panic when she didn't feel Sam around her.

She caught herself, finding it surreal that she had grown used to waking up beside him. She rubbed her eyes and looked around.

The room smelled good, like sugar cookies.

She felt the bed sheets against her skin and realized she wasn't wearing any clothes.

She lied there in bed for a moment, just going over in her head all the events of the past few days.

Meeting and disowning her mother all in a span of an hour, restoring her old house, dinner with Amarandos, the ridiculously impractical and overly lavish gown she had to wear –

Her jaw tightened with anger.

Cassie got out of bed, still sore but ignoring it, getting on her bra and underwear before getting dressed in the blue flannel shirt and jeans, then stomped to the bathroom.

Sam had tidied up. The towels he used were hung up to dry, he'd wiped up the floor that had dripped after he stepped out from his shower, and the dress she had worn was in a black garbage bag on the floor.

And her Angel Blade had been placed on the side table.

It was an odd sight to her, to have a stack of toilet paper and a cup of Q-tips next to a menacing weapon like that in her bathroom.

She immediately grabbed it, and took what was left of the blood-stained dress, dragging it down the stairs and sitting down in front of her fire place.

It hadn't been used in years.

Sam wasn't in the bathroom and when Cassie walked through the kitchen to get to the backyard, he wasn't there either.

 _He probably went to run errands before we hit the road._

And she had something she needed to do too.

She took her blade and slashed it at a giant tree that laid horizontally in her yard. The tree hadn't been there before, so she guessed it must've fallen down after a bad hurricane.

The blade cut through the wood with ease and after a while she had a wholesome looking pile of firewood.

She brought it in through the kitchen, piece by piece and spent another twenty minutes gathering kindling in her yard.

She also went to the front yard gather all of the newspapers that had been thrown to her house but had been left there and never picked up.

She was about to make use of it all.

She glanced across the street and saw the Impala wasn't there.

 _Loverboy wouldn't have left you behind, would he?_ A voice from inside her said.

It made Cassie jolt. "Never," she said out loud, not even being daunted by the stupid question.

 _You have so much faith in him it's disgusting. It's like you guys are Edward and Bella or something._

Cassie scoffed. "Yeah, sure, I'm _just_ like Bella," and then proceeded to throw some of the wood and kindling in the fireplace, and twist some strips of newspaper to set it all ablaze.

Once she got the fire going with Sam's lighter, she immediately and with gusto threw the dress into it.

Cassie's heart beat fast in fear when it made the fire turn purple and blue.

 _It must've been the potion from the spell. It was all over the dress._

Eventually once the dress had been burnt completely the fire turned back to its normal orange and gold coloring.

It reminded her of when her father would light it during Christmas time, and they'd just spent their Christmas break wearing sweaters and drinking cocoa.

Christmas vacation was like Pioneer week. They woke up early, went to bed late, didn't use much electricity and didn't turn on the heat, only used the fireplace, and the oven was always on, whether Cassie was baking pies with her grandmother or cooking something else for dinner, her home had always been full of the warmth and good smells of home, and labor.

But the _good_ kind of labor that made you proud of your work, whether it had been chopping firewood or something as normal as shoveling the driveway.

She'd been so young then. Now here she was, back home at twenty two years old, a woman in love.

She looked down at the blade in her left hand.

 _Wait a minute. Left?_

She was right-handed.

But her instinct had been to use it with her left.

" _You said I was a warrior?"_

" _The finest in your Garrison. You were called the Dual Wielder. You were the only Angel that used two blades when fighting. Even your brother Castiel, who shares the same energy in his Grace as yours, never achieved a sword skill to that degree."_

 _ **I wonder…**_

She put the blade down on the couch and opened her backpack, rummaging through it for _Suan Ywe Gou._

 _Maybe I could use these instead of two angel blades_.

She held the Angel blade in her left hand, and _Suan Ywe Gou_ in her right.

She'd never used weapons like these in her life.

 _You have,_ Sarah reminded her, _you just don't remember._

Cassie took a deep breath. "Maybe it's still in there somewhere."

She closed her eyes and focused.

 _I am an Angel of the Lord. I was trained by Heaven's best to fight demons._

Cassie had never wanted to kill anything in her life.

But what about when Sam was in danger?

Like last night.

She killed Amarandos.

 _If I can do that,_ she told herself, _then using two blades shouldn't be too hard_.

She practiced moving around with them, slicing the air at an imaginary target and she found that when she did something with her right hand, her left hand responded without her realizing it to match what her right hand was doing.

 _Holy crap._

She could do this.

She practiced like that for forty minutes but then felt silly, slashing at nothing.

 _I'll let the boys teach me_ , she thought, and got a funny image in her head of Castiel being the patient, gentle teacher, while Dean was the hardass and Sam was just focused on not accidentally hurting her so he went too easy on her.

It made her laugh.

She decided to shower since all the work from preparing the fire and practicing made her all sweaty, so she took a quick one and got dressed back into her clothes.

When she stepped out into her room the house was nice and warm from the fire she had lit, and it made her smile.

Even the floor underneath her felt warm from the fireplace underneath.

It was as she was unwrapping her hair from the towel that she saw the note on her night stand.

She picked it up and smiled when she realized it was Sam's handwriting.

 _Cassie,_

 _I'll be back in a few hours. I'm just taking care of a few things before we head back._

 _I'll see you soon._

 _Sam_

There was a heart drawn after his name, and it mad her all warm and fuzzy inside.

 _God I love him._

 _Jeez, relax, you're fangirling over one note. Keep it together, woman._

But even the sound of Sarah's condescending voice couldn't dampen her mood.

It was actually kind of a good thing that Sam had left her by herself.

Because she needed a moment alone to think of what she was going to do with the house.

She restored it to its natural state, but she couldn't just leave it.

She would've loved to stay, but she had a whole new life waiting for her now.

With Sam.

She looked around her room at everything, from her acoustic guitar that sat in the corner, her white night stand, the bookshelf that had all of her –

And suddenly she knew what she was going to do.

She tensed at the sound of the door opening downstairs, but grinned when she realized it must be Sam.

She slid down the railing like she had when she was younger to come to a stop at the banister, perched on top of it with a big smile and flushed cheeks. "Hey," she said.

Sam laughed. "Hey there," he said back, walking up to her. "I'm glad you're awake." Since she was sitting on the banister, they were the same height and she definitely took advantage of that.

She leaned in and kissed him gently. "I'm ready to go home," she said.

He sighed with relief, taking her in his arms. "Me too."

Cassie looked up at him and admitted, "I just have one thing I need to take care of first."

* * *

They pulled up in front of the library.

"I won't be long," she said and kissed him before stepping out of the car.

"I'll be here," he promised.

Cassie looked back at him before running up the steps to the library. She walked through the library's doors and the head librarian made eye contact with her.

Her eyes widened like she was seeing a ghost.

Cassie smiled shyly and waved, heading up the huge open staircase that went to the second floor.

She walked through the rows and rows of books until she got to the very back, where the fire escape was.

Cassie knew that the alarm hadn't worked for years, so she pushed through the door.

This was the tricky part.

She climbed up onto the roof of the fire escape and hoped it wouldn't collapse underneath her.

But after some arm-work she was up on the roof.

The girl was there as she had been the last time Cassie saw her. Sitting in a pretzel on the ground, two huge stacks of books on either side of her, as if they were walls, reading a book.

Cassie stood there for a minute, unsure of how to approach her. She ended up just clearing her throat.

The girl immediately stood up and turned around, book in hand. Once she saw Cassie, she took a few steps backwards, hugging the book to her chest, accidentally bumping into the stacks of books and knocking them over.

 _Dammit_ , she thought.

Cassie could see the girl had bags under her eyes, and she was skittish, like she was used to being taken by surprise, and having it end badly. She also had a bruise on her cheekbone that hadn't been there before.

"Hi," Cassie said. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you're up here. I just wanted to give you something."

The girl eyed Cassie suspiciously.

"Um…" Cassie coughed, "My name is Cassie. When I was your age I used to read up here, too. It's great that someone else figured out how good of a reading spot this is," she smiled at her, hoping the girl would feel a bit more relaxed if she appeared welcoming."

The girl glanced at where she had been sitting. "How long ago was that?" she asked.

"Ever since I was thirteen, so nine years ago," she admitted.

The girl looked Cassie up and down. "I don't do drugs," she said. "And even If I did, I don't have any money."

Cassie sighed. "I'm not trying to sell you drugs. Here." She held out a small piece of paper.

The girl glanced at the paper, then back at Cassie, and did so for a few moments. "What is it?"

Cassie glanced down at the paper, then back at the girl and raised an eyebrow, as if to say, "Why don't you take it and find out?"

The girl couldn't help but be drawn in by Cassie's mischievous expression and walked up to her slowly, taking the piece of paper.

She unfolded it to see _934 Platt Avenue._

"It's an address," she said.

"Yeah." Cassie put her hands in her pockets nervously. "It's just um…it's my old house. But I can't live there anymore. It's empty, and it'll be empty forever. But…if you ever need a place to go…for any reason, it doesn't matter… you can go there."

The girl looked back up at Cassie. "W-why?" she asked.

Cassie bit her lip nervously, her eyes filled with sadness. "Because I was you once. I know what it's like to need a safe place, and not have one."

The girl looked back down at the paper and to Cassie's amazement the girl's eyes started pooling with tears, and she wiped them roughly away with her arm. "You look beat up," the girl said, sniffling.

Cassie laughed weakly, remembering how she must've looked. "So do you," she said without intending to contain bitterness in her tone.

The girl looked down at the ground, as if ashamed. "Why do you care? You don't even know me," she asked.

 _Good question._

But Cassie knew the answer now.

She looked up at the girl, and without any humor or uncertainty said, "I am an Angel of the Lord. And…that means it's my job to take care of people, so I want to start."

It was time that Cassie stopped running.

Running from her fears, her problems, her past.

She had to face it all and learn who she was, and most importantly do the best she could to help people.

Because no matter what a person is, Hunter, Angel, Soldier, or even just a regular human…

Their job is to help people.

And save them when they could.

The girl scoffed. "Yeah, okay."

Cassie said, "If you want to get in, climb up the tree that the porch is built around. At the top there's a purple pouch tied to one of the branches. It's the key to get in."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "I have to climb a _tree_?"

Cassie shrugged. "It shouldn't be too hard. You've mastered how to scale a fire escape."

The girl scrunched her face, like she didn't enjoy losing a debate. "Touché."

Cassie smiled, and without another word climbed back down from where she came.

The girl watched her go back inside the library and then ran over the ledge of the library to see Cassie stepping into a black car, and seeing it drive off and disappear.


	26. Chapter 26: Quarrel

Chapter 26

Quarrel

Dean couldn't deny that he felt different. The mark was like a pulsing entity on his right arm and he clung to the edge of his sleeve as if to stop it from crawling down to his hand.

But once again, he'd had acted without any sense of self-preservation, and he was under the influence of something he had no idea about.

All Dean knew was that Cain had given it to him, _**The**_ _Cain_ , and it was what he needed so that using the First blade on Abaddon was possible.

He was going to ask Crowley to take him to Sanford so he could catch up with Sam and Cassie, but the truth was he didn't want to be around them yet. He had to re-learn to act normal so they wouldn't suspect anything.

Cassie in particular was extremely intuitive, even when not at full Angel capacity and she also knew how to read people very well. Not to mention the fact that Dean found it very difficult to lie to her. Her round, blue eyes were just so open and pure, it tugged at his heart. She was his biggest problem.

Suddenly he heard a fluttering of wings and Castiel was in front of him.

 _I stand corrected,_ he thought.

Crowley shifted form one foot to another. "Catch you later, Squirrel. I'll let you know when I find… _something,_ " Crowley said and he was gone.

Cas marched up to Dean and grabbed him roughly by arms and practically yelled, "What the hell have you been doing?! You haven't answered any of my calls, you've been working with Crowley again – "

"Well, how about you, Cas? Where the hell have _you_ been?"

"No, you are _not_ turning it on me. You were just hanging around the King of Hell. You explain first!"

Dean couldn't look at him. "Not here, he said.

That same feeling was starting to come over Dean, the nervous excitement that usually accompanied Cas' presence. Dean thought he could just ignore what had happened between them and move on, but even now he couldn't make eye contact and his touch, though rough and angry, was stirring desire in him.

Dean blinked and suddenly they were outside the Bunker. Cas pulled him towards the door to unlock it and Dean pulled away.

"Stop with the pulling and pushing and crap, okay?! I'm not a kid!" Dean with contained frustration unlocked the door to the bunker and they both immediately stepped inside.

Cas snapped his fingers and turned the lights on. "What did you do."

Dean scowled. "What do you mean, what did I – "

" - Dean! I know you! I know when you've done something incredibly and irrevocably stupid that usually shortens the span of your life, so tell me what you did!"

"Maybe I _would_ if you stopped yelling at me! And what about catching me up on where _you've_ been? _Drug dealers_ make more appearances than you do!"

Castiel glared at Dean and the intensity of his gaze made his confidence falter. "I've been trying to track down Metatron, find a way to reopen Heaven so that souls like Kevin and Mrs. Tran aren't stuck in limbo, figure out where my Grace could possibly be since I'm running on the grace of another Angel which won't last forever, dealing with the consequences of killing Bartholomew and _apparently_ figuring out what to do with a bunch of wayward Angels that think I'm their rightful leader when I'm anything _but_. Your turn."

 _Oh…shit._ Dean didn't say a word. Cas' confession made him feel even more incompetent. But what did he expect? That Cas had been screwing around this whole time? Of _course_ he was busy. Castiel wasn't a mindless minion like he used to be, but he was just as driven and righteous as an Angel should be when it came to preserving God's creations.

But even so…Dean wasn't obligated to tell Cas anything. True, they were friends and comrades in War, but Dean was a grown man who had every right to keep secrets and his Agenda to himself. It wasn't up to Cas to check on him and scold him when he did something wrong.

Except that's not how Dean felt at all. He couldn't deny that there was a sense of domestic normalcy that came from Cas pestering him about his whereabouts. It showed that he cared. Dean sighed. "It turns out the First Blade is somewhere at the bottom of the Ocean. Crowley left to find it."

Dean paused. "How did you even find me?"

"I called Sam to check in and he said you weren't with him, so I asked him where you were and he told me. But in the past, I didn't have to contact _your brother_ to figure out where you were."

He flinched, but something was still echoing in Dean's head. "You stole the grace of another Angel?"

Cas nodded. "I had to. Being human was…exerting. It was annoying being something that had to feed and sleep and excrete constantly. Such obligations are counterproductive when I had matter of larger importance I had to – "

"Okay okay I get it, TMI, Cas," Dean said with a sigh, turning away from him to grab a beer from the fridge.

Castiel finally took a moment to actually examine Dean. "Something about you is different."

Dean held back the impulse to freeze up, and mentally told himself he was fine. "Well yeah, I might seem a bit rattled. Forgive me for not being the picture of calm after an encounter with Cain."

Cas' eyes widened. "As in the first Demon?"

Dean popped the cap off his beer and nodded. "Yeup, that one." He took quite a few swigs of his beer before turning back around.

Dean tried to play it off nonchalantly like it had just been a regular errand but Castiel knew better. "What happened," he asked more gently this time.

 _Shit, no._ When his voice sounded like that, Dean's composure broke down. "We did a location spell for the First Blade, but it led us to Cain. Then he told us where the blade actually was. Abaddon sent some of her goons after us, and Cain fought them off while Crowley and I got away from it all."

Without skipping a beat, Cas said, "What aren't you telling me?"

Dean sighed, taking another long drink from his beer. "That's pretty much it. Not much else to report."

"Then why haven't you looked at me at all since we came back here?"

Dean blushed without meaning to and glanced up at Cas, still not replying.

Castiel stepped closer to Dean, taking very slow, deliberate steps. As Cas got closer, Dean felt more heat rise to his face and his nervousness increase.

Cas' gaze softened and he gently took one of Dean's hands in his. "I thought you didn't like secrets. That's why when you asked me what I'd been up to, I told you. I don't like keeping things from you, Dean unless it means keeping you safe. It's never ended well for either of us. Why can't you be honest with me?"

Every word, so gently and carefully said was a blow to Dean's heart and he had to bite down to keep his emotions in check. Dean's hand was a bit damp from being so nervous and overheating, a stark contrast to Cas' cool, calm one.

Dean bit his lip, and then with a deep breath pressed his lips to Cas'. It was gentle, hesitant, and afraid, not like their first. It was a question, asking for permission.

Cas was taken aback, not expecting it, but kissed Dean back with the same softness and hesitancy, asking for permission back.

Then Dean's arms were around Cas and they were losing themselves in each other's embrace. Cas managed to get Dean's coat off so he could put his hand up the soft material of Dean's T-shirt to stroke his hot skin.

Dean's breathing grew erratic and their uncertain kisses became intense and all-consuming. Cas had to stop though, or he'd lose his focus.

"Dean," he sighed, biting at his lower lip before pulling away, making Dean shudder. "Please, talk –" and then he saw it.

The Mark, much like a burn, on Dean's right forearm.

He gawked at it in shock, pulling away from Dean.

Dean's heart fell in his stomach when he saw how Cas was looking at him.

Like he was a monster.

"Dean what have you done," Castiel's eyes started to water. "Why the hell would you ever– "

" – I had to! I can't use the First Blade on Abaddon unless I have the Mark of Cain! They function like a pair –"

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!" Cas exploded, putting a hand over his mouth and sinking into a chair.

An awkward silence hung between them. Dean could still feel the wetness on his lips from where Cas kissed him, and the skin underneath his shirt still burned from where he had touched him, but they were at odds once again.

"That thing that you wear on your arm is a curse. I don't even know if the you I'm seeing right now is actually _you_ , Dean," Cas' expression expressed his mistrust and doubt.

But it immediately shifted when he saw the anxiety and hurt on Dean's face that he couldn't hide. " _Of course_ I'm me! I'm still Dean Winchester, I still hunt things and save people and I still…" Dean didn't have the courage to say it, but he tried to convey what he felt for Cas through his eyes.

Part of the reason he couldn't say what he felt was because he wasn't even sure himself.

 _The way I kissed you, and held you in my arms, the way I completely lose myself to you…you think that wasn't real?_ Dean tensed his jaw, re-bottling up his emotions.

He let them show for a second, but that had been a mistake.

If Cas was going to treat him like he was some kind of monster then fine. He didn't need him.

But Cas could see the change in Dean's stance and understood his thought process. "Having that mark…it's going to change you, Dean. You may feel fine right now, but if you don't keep this thing in check…it's going to be the end of you."

"No, _you'll_ be the end of me. It's always a fucking roller coaster with you!"

"I don't intend – "

"Well, it doesn't _matter_ because it _is_! You're a supernatural being, so of _course_ I can't know your whereabouts 24/7 but that just adds to the stress! I don't know _what_ I feel about you, but whatever it is I can't feel it because even if we…" Dean swallowed, closing his eyes and turning away. "If we could _be_ something, you'd outlive me anyway. So what's the point?!" Dean slammed his fist on the table, channeling all of his hurt and anxiety into that one punch. "And now you're looking at me like I'm some kind of _freak_. I'm not Sam when he was tripping on Demon Blood, or you when you were filled to the brim with Leviathans, I'm just _me_!"

Dean couldn't take much more of being around Cas, the way he was looking at him with those piercing blue eyes…

He walked in a rush down the hallway and locked himself in his bedroom.


	27. Chapter 27: Altercation

Chapter 27

Altercation

Castiel had been standing outside of Dean's door for quite a bit by this point.

Dean didn't give a damn.

Except he did.

Part of him wanted to open to the door and throw himself at Cas and just forget about everything while becoming a tangle of limbs and lips on the floor.

But the rest of him never wanted to see Cas again.

Fuck him.

Fuck Cain.

Fuck Crowley.

 _How could he push me away like that? I'm not a monster. I'm just trying to do the right thing without involving Sammy or Cassie…or you._

"You know that walls are just a formality, right? I'm capable of just going in of my own Accord. This door doesn't even lock," Cas' voice was muffled from the other side of the door.

 _I can't think straight when you're around._ "I need you to leave."

"Really? Is that why you were making out with me five minutes ago?"

 _Dammit._ Dean kicked a chair in his room and paced back and forth. "You kissed me back," he said out loud, the first time he'd audibly admitted to being intimate with Castiel. _God, what's wrong with me?_

"Yes, I did. I don't want to go, Dean, and I don't think you want me to either."

Dean felt heat rise back up to his cheeks and he bit down on his lip, trying to shove his desire back down to the black abyss where he usually kept it.

But that was impossible now. The second his lips touched Castiel's for the first time there was no going back to the way things were.

Dean tensed when he heard the sudden vibration of his phone.

He glanced down at it on his bed.

A text from Sam.

 _We're home._

Dean walked back over to the door, opened it and walked past Cas.

He turned around to look at him. "They're back. We don't have time for this."

"Time for what?" Cas said, tilting his head. "What would you _call_ this?"

"I mean there isn't time for _any_ of it!" Dean hissed, frustratedly slipping on a long sleeved flannel shirt he'd grabbed, being careful to conceal the Mark. "Don't say a _word_. Not about the Mark, about…" he made a vague gesture at the space between two of them, " _this_ , whatever the hell this is, and don't mention Crowley either." He turned back around to head up the hallway. "Or Cain," he said without turning around.

Castiel quickly floated over to Dean and kissed the back of his neck, biting down.

Dean jumped and moaned, clamping his teeth together, not allowing the sound to fully escape.

Cas pulled away, to press his lips to Dean's ear. "Fine, Dean. More secrets. I won't say a word. I won't _have_ to," he growled and stepped five feet back from Dean.

 _Dammit, Cas_. So much for having composure. His entire body was heated and tense and aching to turn around and make Cas pay for biting him in that spot that drove him crazy. _Jesus Christ I just want to_ …

No.

Dean would ignore what he was feeling.

He needed to find out what happened in Maine.

With Cas following behind, Dean briskly walked to the main area, waiting for the door to open.

"Hypocrisy should be one of the deadly sins," Castiel muttered from behind him.

"Cas, I'm gonna– "

But the door flew open and Sam appeared.

He was lugging in a bag of clothes…

And he looked perfectly fine.

Dean raised an eyebrow. _Huh?_ Whenever they got back from a hunt they always looked beat up or at the very least like they'd be shoved down a flight of stairs.

But Sam looked… _normal_. In perfect health, actually, like he was better than when they left.

"Hey guys," Sam said, waving. He had a bounce in his step as he quickly went down the stairs.

Cassandra followed behind…

And Dean's heart stopped.

She looked like she'd been thrown against a cinderblock wall and then some.

She had a cut underneath her left eye, her lips were bruised and red, she had a bruise across one of her cheek bones, and she was moving slowly, suggesting she had injuries elsewhere.

"Cassandra," Castiel immediately ran to her and scooped her up before she could even make it back down the stairs.

"Hi," she said, smiling at her brother. "What's all this for? I'm – "

"Don't you _dare_ say you're okay, you look awful," Cas said, immediately pressing a finger to her forehead to heal her.

Dean scoffed. "Subtle, Cas. Real subtle." He looked back over at Sam. " _You_ on the other hand look like you got a hit of whatever juice made Steve Rogers _Captain America."_

Sam bit his lip, putting the bag of clothes down. "I have a theory about that. I was pretty beat up, too. Actually I sprained my arm, but when I woke up I was completely healed. I think Cassandra can heal people subconsciously. She doesn't do it on purpose, like Cas, but she _does_ have healing powers."

It was apparent that Cas was straining himself, however. Dean and Sam could see that it was a physical effort to heal Cassandra, and eventually when he pulled his finger away, it looked like he'd only been able to heal her injuries halfway.

He put her down and looked at her tiredly, an expression of disbelief on his face.

Dean remembered Cas saying he had to steal the Grace of another Angel to get his mojo back…

 _And that it wouldn't last forever_.

Maybe healing was causing Cas to burn it out, like gas in a car.

 _That's not good._

It made Dean's stomach uneasy.

Cassie touched her bottom lip and looked at Cas in surprise. "You healed me," she said with astonishment.

"Like _you_ healed _me_ ," Sam said gently, walking back over to her.

She blushed, and grabbed her arm in shyness.

Dean looked between the two of them.

 _Wait a minute…_

"How did you figure out she has healing powers?" he asked pointedly at Sam.

Sam immediately went red in the face and made an expression as if to say _not here._

But Cas had already put two and two together.

He lunged at Sam, throwing him against the wall.

"SAM! Castiel, stop, please!" Cassie threw herself at her brother, trying to get his hand free of Sam's throat.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!" Cas had one hand around Sam's neck and the other held his angel blade, locked and loaded.

"Cas, put my brother down, please," Dean said, but his arms were crossed. "Since I'm blood, I get to tear him a new one first."

Cas released him reluctantly, and Sam took a big gasp for air, coughing.

"What the hell?!" Cassie exclaimed. "Tear him a new one?! What happened to the whole, "you're both adults and you're obviously crazy about each other so just be safe about it" speech?!"

"Well, _were_ you?" Dean countered.

She paused and blushed profusely. "D-define safe," she mumbled, looking down at the ground.

Dean looked to Sam in disbelief. "You've gotta be kiddin' me."

Once Sam could breathe again, he said hoarsely, "Can I get in a word at least before you both attack me?!"

"NO!" Cas and Dean both said in Unison.

Cassie's gaze bore into Dean, unable to shake the sensation that something wasn't quite right with him.

 _Happy bunch of oats, aren't they?_ Cassie felt Sarah within her say, interrupting her thoughts.

 _Yeah, no kidding,_ she thought back.

She had to gather up her inner strength.

 _Okay, Cassie, you can handle this. You battled entire demon armies, the least you can do is handle two over protective brothers._

"How the hell could you be so stupid?!"

"What if you got her pregnant? The creation of Nephilim is forbidden and a sin against God!"

" _Oh,_ because _you're_ the textbook definition of _piously reverent_?"

"At least I had the decency not to share intimacy with a human!"

"No, you just screwed a damn _Reaper_!"

"ATLEAST YOU CAN'T GET A REAPER PREGNANT, SAMMY!"

 _This conversation was_ _ **so**_ _not happening._ With a flick of her wrist to slide off her watch, Cassie converted it in midair back into an Angel Blade and thrust her arm up to point it in the air.

The entire room finally fell silent. All three men gawked at the weapon in her hand, and the fact that she held it without any of sign of doubt or hesitation.

 _Who are you and what have you done with the shy insecure girl we found here covered in mud?_ Dean thought.

Instead what stood in front of them was a young woman with icy blue eyes and an aura of strength that hit them like a heatwave. "I am _**not**_ having my sex life discussed by you three like I'm a political debate on the six-o'clock news! Last time I checked, my body is my business and I'm a grown woman who can make her own decisions. There was a time I was slicing and dicing at the throats of demons and rubbing elbows with the Archangels of Heaven, so I think I can handle something like freakin' intercourse! This conversation is going to stop. NOW!"

She looked so fearsome and spoke with such confidence that every man in that room didn't dare make a move or even breathe.

A heavy silence filled the room.

"I know the current subject isn't favorable," Cas spoke first, "But…that was incredible."

Cassie raised an eyebrow in confusion, stowing her blade.

" I mean…it's just you sounded exactly like the Cassandra you used to be."

She looked at him in surprise. "I…"

He stepped forward. "You spoke with such conviction and passion. It's that same resilience that spurred our brothers and sisters into action before a battle. You're younger than me, but you were always the one they looked to for guidance and strength. You're a natural leader, Cassandra."

She bit her lip, and looked at the three of them.

Sam, his expression full of unwavering faith and love, Dean's with protectiveness and concern, and Cas' with admiration and adoration.

She took a deep breath. "I don't know about any of that, I just…"

Dean grabbed Sam and dragged him off to the side.

"My room. Now."

Dean slammed the door shut behind them.

"You didn't use protection." He said.

It wasn't a question.

Sam opened his mouth to speak but Dean hit him in the face.

He waited for Sam to recover before he spoke again. "How hard is it to make a damn stop at Walgreens and shell out seven bucks?"

Sam took a step back from Dean. He was sick of being shoved and choked and hit and punched and pulled and everything else. "Cassie said –"

"Sam, she was a _virgin_. It doesn't matter _how_ old she is or _what the hell she said_ , if you got her pregnant, her life is over. You can't have a baby and be a hunter! Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"Dean, you don't get it!" What could he say? How could he possibly explain all of his feelings for Cassie and what had been exchanged between them?

"What don't I get? This girl's life is just starting, Sam! How could you take a risk like this?!"

Sam took a deep breath and looked Dean straight in the face. "She's it for me, Dean. She's the one I want to be with forever."

Dean gritted his teeth. "You sound like you're in fucking high school!"

"Well, she IS, Dean! I don't know how else to say it! She's the one! I love her."

Dean shook his head. "You always crash and burn when it comes to women and I know you have a thing for not-human ones–"

"Dean, she's the most human girl I've ever _met_ , including Jess. She has such a big heart and cares so much. Before we left, she gave her house to a random girl she didn't even know because she knew that one girl needed a safe place. She offered her home to a complete _stranger._ Cassie really is an Angel, in every sense of the word!"

"You realize you sound, crazy, right?" Dean countered. "You've known her for less than two weeks and you're not even batting an eye at the fact that she could be _carrying your child_. Plus how could you condemn her to something like this? A life with _us_?"

"What, you're saying you don't _want_ her to stay?"

Dean sighed. "Of course not. She's like the sister I never had, but it's not fair to her. You know she could have better. Cassie's had so much shit happen to her, she deserves more than living in a bunker and twiddling her thumbs while she's waiting for us to come back from hunts that we might not even _return_ from."

Sam winced. "We can train her. I mean, _train her_ , train her. She could come on hunts _with_ us."

 _Now you're just pissing me off._ "You'd _expose_ her to that? Watching people die, gunfire, blood, all the hell we go through?! You'd be willing to put her through that just so you could _keep her?!"_

"You don't know what happened in Maine."

Dean looked at him expectantly.

Sam crossed his arms. "The dinner she went to with the Brontes guy to get information turned out to be a trap. She was kidnapped. I got there before he could do anything to her but I was defenseless, he had me against the wall. I was getting beaten to a pulp and she saved me. She pulled another stunt like the Concert Hall and took down an entire Estate."

 _Jesus Christ._ Dean stared at Sam in shock.

"She's powerful. Most of the people in our lives who get close to us get killed or worse but not her. She's strong, I know it. She's the only girl who can handle this. She's so strong, Dean," his voice was cracking, it was so full of emotion. "She's so strong and so beautiful and I love her."

"If she's _that_ powerful, you really think we're the only ones who are gonna want her on our side? You think a stunt like that didn't get someone's attention? I bet every Angel on earth, which happens to be _all of them,_ is out looking for her, not to mention every Demon, too. Even if we trained her, we couldn't keep her safe from something like that. She probably can't even set one foot outside this bunker after what she pulled."

Sam shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'm telling you, Cassandra is different from anyone we've ever dealt with before. She's a force of nature. You didn't see her the way I did!"

"Yeah, damn right I didn't see her _the way you did_ ," Dean gritted his teeth. "I get it. You get your fucking dick wet one time and you're completely whipped and blind to logic."

Sam growled, "It wasn't the sex! It wasn't _just_ sex, either. It was so much more than that!"

Dean still couldn't believe that Sam was so careless and selfish. _Oh wait, yes I can._ "Yeah yeah you guys _made love._ Great. But you were her _first,_ Sam. Her first _everything._ You took her virginity and you're gonna end up taking her life!"

"No," Sam said without any hesitation. "She's not like the others. I can't explain it, but…" he didn't have words, and he just threw his hands up and shrugged.

"Sam, for God sakes, it's been two weeks!"

"Well how long does it take, Dean?! How long do two people have to stare at each other to fucking know that it's the real deal?!"

Dean hit him again.

Sam groaned in pain, holding the side of his face.

"If you got her pregnant, I'm gonna kill you."


	28. Chapter 28: Resolution

**Author's Note: Okay, huge huge HUGE warning. This chapter is the reason I had to change the rating of this story to M for Mature. You've been warned!**

Chapter 28

Resolution

"I'm sorry I was unable to fully heal your injuries," Cas told his sister, looking down in disappointment.

Cassie put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you kidding? You saved me weeks of soreness and pain. At least you sped up the process. I didn't even know that you could _do_ that."

Cas looked back up into her eyes, so much like his own. "Of course. All Angels have healing abilities." And then his eyes grew stern.

Of all people that Sam could decide to consummate with, he _had_ to pick Castiel's sister.

She sighed. "It was _my_ choice. _I'll_ deal with the consequences."

"You don't understand, it's not that simple." He took a deep breath. "If you had a child with Sam, it would be half angel. It's forbidden to conceive such a child."

She raised an eyebrow. "Forbidden by the same God who went AWOL, you mean?"

He rolled his eyes. " _Yes,_ but forbidden nonetheless."

She crossed her arms. "You're gonna tell me you never went against God's orders?"

Cas shifted where he stood and coughed. "Well…" the Leviathan incident, every time he'd saved the Winchesters instead of annihilating them, working side by side with Demons, his steamy encounter with Dean in the Hallway and the thirty minutes he had Dean pressed against the side of the Impala underneath him all came to mind. "T-that's not what we're discussing."

She smirked. "Speaking of consummating with a person's sibling…what happened with you and _Dean_?"

"Not consummation," Cas immediately said. "You've changed since I last saw you." He couldn't help smiling.

"You mean…I'm more me-like?" She asked. She pulled out her Angel Blade and Suan Ywe Gou, holding them in each hand. "I was called the Dual Wielder."

Cas' eyes widened. "You remember."

She shook her head. "No, Amarandos told me a lot about my past. He was crazy but…" she winced, "he _was_ very informative. He said I used to fight alongside Michael."

"Yes. You were one of the most ruthless warriors in the Garrison. You and I are made of the same energy, but….something always set you apart from the rest of us."

Cassie froze. Her? What was so special about her? "What was it," she said, barely audible.

Suddenly Cas was miles away. "We all followed God's orders. He was our father and we wanted to obey him out of love and affection. But you…you didn't see it as pining for his approval. It was more like you were stepping in for him in his absence. You were truly doing his work while the rest of us simply followed suit."

Before Cassie could say anything in reply, Dean and Sam both came up from down the hall.

Sam had another bruise blossoming on his jawline.

 _Really?_ She thought with frustration. "What the hell did – "

"–We need to talk," Dean immediately cut her off.

The second Dean walked into her general radius she stiffened.

Something about him felt… _wrong._

She kept her blades in hand. The feeling she was getting was similar to the one she experienced when she'd been around Amarandos. Like she was in contact with something very dark and very old.

She looked at him more closely. He still looked like the Dean she had come to know and trust. His body language conveyed an aura of intimidation and command, but his eyes said something different.

He was… _scared._

"Yeah, we _do_ ," she said.

Her tone shattered his certainty and all of a sudden he found himself taking a step back.

"Tell me something only Dean would know," she said, her gaze unwavering.

Everyone in the room looked at her in surprise. "Cassie?" Sam said.

 _Something's not right,_ she thought.

She found that her gaze kept going to his right arm.

"Why?" His tone was defensive. He noticed too.

"I can't explain it but something about you feels off." _There is something very wrong. Why can't I put my finger on it?_

Dean said without hesitation, "If someone tries to wake you up, you jump and cross your arms over yourself like you expect to be attacked. You showed me up in the car when we were listening to music, and you sing in the shower without realizing it."

She blushed, but relaxed a bit.

Sam bristled. _How does he know all of that?_ He shot Dean a look, but he wasn't paying attention.

She sighed, putting her blades on the table. "Fine. Let's talk." She leaned up to kiss Cas' cheek and give him a one-arm hug before walking up in front of Dean.

Sam tensed.

"I'll be fine, Sam," she said.

He looked to her in astonishment. Right before his eyes, she was changing. She was more confident, more sure of herself. The spell hadn't been fully performed but anyone with half a brain could notice there was a definite shift in Cassie. Her eyes looked more aware, her reflexes were better, and she was less hesitant around weapons. And her intuitive abilities were off the charts.

Even _Castiel_ hadn't initially been able to tell that something was off about Dean aside form his behavior, but she knew right away.

All Sam could do was look at her with a mixture of awe and uncertainty.

Dean nodded to Cas.

He nodded back, and disappeared.

"Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of Sam," she said firmly.

Dean scowled. "I already did. Now it's your turn."

She crossed her arms. "Lift up your sleeve."

Dean's eyes widened. "Cassie, you know it's me – "

"– I do. But I need to know why I feel sick to my stomach just being _around_ you," she said, not harshly but it was a blow to Dean's heart all the same.

Cassie wasn't even fully Angel and _she_ was saying that? Then what did _Castiel_ feel being around him?

Slowly he lifted up the sleeves of his shirt.

She saw an ancient looking symbol that appeared like it had been branded onto Dean's skin on his right arm. "What _is_ that?" she asked. Every part of her being was coiling away from it.

Sam looked at it with concern as well.

"It's called the Mark of Cain," Dean said. "I need it to use the First Blade, which Crowley is currently looking for. Once we have both, I'll be able to kill Abaddon. What about you? How was Maine?"

Cassie's spoke first. "We found the Brontes' in my home town. The leader, Amarandos, tried to force me into performing the awakening spell for my Grace, but he never finished. Sam showed up just in time to his Estate, where Amarandos had taken me."

She recounted everything that had happened in the past few days, including running into her mother, all the information she learned from Amarandos, figuring out how to activate her Angel Blade, and discovering she was a warrior who used two blades in combat.

But she had one secret left that she hadn't talked about.

And she didn't want to.

She felt a sudden tightening in her core. _Aww, you're not gonna introduce me? At least let me meet your boyfriend, he's a hot lay. You would know._ Cassie gritted her teeth and didn't dare breathe.

"Cassie!" Dean started towards her but she held a hand up.

 _Come on…it's not fair…let me meet them!_ Sarah jeered from within her.

But if she told them about Sarah it would be a confirmation that Sarah was real and not just some figment of her imagination that Cassie could toss to the side when her voice got too overwhelming.

Which meant Cassie was living in a body that didn't belong to her.

And it'd be harder and harder to push Sarah away, because Cassandra's guilt would overwhelm her. Not to mention ever since she accepted her existence, Sarah got into the habit of just popping into Cassie's thoughts whenever she wanted.

It was like being a schizophrenic, except ten times worse because the voice in her head was _real._

"I'm fine," Cassie gritted her teeth and mentally put a wall up around Sarah so her voice was muffled and indecipherable.

But she knew it wouldn't last forever.

Part of her wished they could coexist as one being, but she could see now that wasn't going to happen.

Sarah wanted her life back.

But Cassie was going to fight to keep _hers._

* * *

Dean took his time in the shower, trying to clear his head enough that after a beer or two he'd be able to actually get some sleep before they started training Cassandra tomorrow.

 _She has two blades, let's see what she can do with'em_ , he thought scrubbing his scalp harshly as the scent of his Axe shampoo flooded his senses.

He scrubbed hard over the mark, wishing it wasn't there.

Showers were better than therapy. Usually. But it wasn't quite doing the trick this time.

After shutting off the water, he wrapped a towel around himself and peeked his head out, making sure the coast was clear.

Cassie's door was ajar and there appeared to be no one in her room.

They were both sharing Sam's then. _They never freakin' learn, do they?_ He thought.

In nothing but a towel, still dripping wet and freshly steamed, he walked over to the mini fridge to grab two cold shock tops before heading to his room to get some much-needed sleep.

The second he closed his door, however, he found that he wasn't alone.

"Cas," he said quietly. The room was dark save for one lamp that had a bulb on its way out, but Dean would know that shadow anywhere.

However, he wasn't in the mood to be lectured or shoved around or teleported somewhere, he needed sleep.

Now.

"Hello Dean," Cas said.

Dean was extremely tired but his heart still sped up at the sight of the familiar trench-coat clad silhouette that was Cas.

For some reason in the dimly lit room, the air felt thick and heated.

All of the shyness and hesitation and shame that Dean usually felt around Cas wasn't there. Just a deep-seated desire that was starting to build the longer he looked at the blue eyed-tousled haired-Angel.

"I'm tired," Dean said huskily, but he wasn't quite so tired anymore.

"I could sleep _with_ you," Cas said and Dean shuddered, biting his lip.

"Angels don't sleep."

"I know," he admitted. Cas' dark form moved closer to Dean.

He didn't move away.

Dean had wanted to call him out for treating him like he was a monster, tell Cas how hurt he was that he'd acted so coldly towards him, like what happened between them hadn't been real.

Because Dean had been with women in bed more times than he could count but none of them every came close to what it felt like when he was clinging to Cas and the feel of their lips dancing against each other. Nothing felt more real than _that._

But the memory alone was making Dean want to reach a hand down between his legs and bring some friction and relief to his growing erection.

Castiel slouched off his trench coat and jacket so he was in nothing but his shirt, tie and slacks.

Dean noticed his shoes were already off.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," Cas said quietly, conscious of the slumbering couple just a few rooms down from them. "I'm just worried, Dean, of what will come with this Mark that – "

"– No, not right now," Dean said and closed the distance between them.

Dean didn't want to think. If he did he might stop what he was doing.

He was kissing Cas with a passion he didn't know he was capable of containing.

Dean was usually quiet when he was being intimate with someone but Cas's smooth hands over his skin was making him moan and hiss and gasp for air like it was his first time being touched.

The towel around him fell, but he didn't care.

He started pulling mercilessly at the buttons on Cas' shirt, popping some off and doing everything in his power to rip Cas out of the horrible clothing that kept him from feeling his skin against his.

Their lips didn't break way from each other once as Cas undid his tie and then slipped his pants off so he was in nothing but a pair of black socks and boxers.

Dean couldn't take it anymore. He pressed himself against Cas and immediately groaned when he felt the warmth of Cas' chest against his.

Cas planted a soft, wet kiss on Dean's lips but then pulled away slightly. "I'm not sure what to do," he admitted quietly.

Of course. He'd only had sex once and it had been with a woman.

And Dean hadn't done this before, either.

"This is new for me, too," Dean replied shakily, pressing his heated forehead to Cas' shoulder, wrapping his arms around Cas' firm torso.

Castiel wasn't really bothered with the idea of sex with a man. Angels didn't technically have actual genders, anyway, it was just what they chose to identify themselves as.

But he knew that Dean was probably worried about it, growing up with words being thrown at men who were homosexual like "fag" and "fairy" and God knew what else. Even in the Bible lying with a man was a sin. Granted, it was written by a _human_ , but still.

"There's steps isn't there? Something to do with a sport or something," Cas said quietly, placing a hand on the back of Dean's neck in reassurance.

Dean sighed, enjoying the warmth on the back of his neck. "You mean the bases. Yeah, there's first, second…third…and then home," he mumbled.

Cas nodded. "We don't have to go straight to…sex," he whispered. "We can take this slow."

Dean was shaking with adrenaline, he couldn't help it. He'd never been this close to Cas, feeling the heat of their bodies together, the tip of his erection poking into the side of Cas's leg. "Yeah," he said, nodding.

They eventually made their way to Dean's bed and laid down.

Dean turned the lamp completely off so all he had to go on was touch and sound. His breathing was uneven and his heart was pounding.

The cool, crisp sheets gave some solace to his overheating body but his desire was consuming him.

Before he could make a move Castiel propped himself up so that he was over Dean, and he planted soft, slow kisses on Dean's swollen lips.

Castiel pressed a hand to Dean's chest to feel his heart which was beating hard and fast. Dean moaned at the feel of his touch, leaning up to press against Cas' hand. Then he moved his hand down Dean's chest slowly, stopping on Dean's stomach, right above where he wanted Cas' touch the most.

 _Damn_ , Dean thought. This was complete torture.

"Do you want me to keep – "

" – PLEASE," Dean begged. He had to whisper because he was afraid of Sam and Cassie hearing him but Cas could hear the urgency in Dean's voice.

He finally wrapped a hand around Dean's throbbing member, causing Dean to bite back a whimper.

"Move," he growled with aching need, thrusting his hips up and down so that he was moving in Cas's hand. He gasped from the much needed friction finally providing some relief. "Mmnnn," he groaned, shivering.

Cas moved his hand up and down, kissing down Dean's neck to bite gently on his shoulder where the hand mark from Cas still remained.

"Aaaah," Dean whined, throwing his head back.

Castiel found that his body was starting to respond to Dean's sounds and reactions. His need for closeness and intimacy turned into a craving for physical contact and release.

Dean noticed the difference in Cas. His soft, slow kisses became more aggressive and lustful.

But could Dean cross that line? Kissing was one thing, but actually going to that place? Was he willing to do that with Cas?

The two men had been through so much together, literally hell and back. Castiel was the only one who understood Dean fully, sometimes it seemed even more than Sam did. He'd been there for him even when Dean didn't deserve it. There were times that Cas had screwed up, but he had too. Through thick and thin, Dean depended on him more than he allowed himself to admit.

Dean hesitantly pressed a hand against the front of Cas' boxers –

And he responded with a moan of his own, motivating Dean to continue.

The intense pleasure and need for each other led them to simply grind against each other until Dean felt a tightness in his abdomen and that sweet, familiar sensation that he got before he was about to come.

"Casdon'tstop," Dean choked out in a rush and bit into Cas' shoulder to muffle his exclaims of pleasure as the intensity of his release came at him fast. He grabbed for Cas' hand and gripped tight as his orgasm finally let loose.

The tensing of Dean's lithe body beneath him and the sounds he was making was enough to drive Castiel over the edge, and he thoroughly ruined his boxers.

For a few moments afterwards they just clung to each other, sweaty and spent but satisfied.

Castiel fell to the left side of the bed next to Dean. "I don't need to sleep, but I'll stay if you want me to."

There wasn't an answer.

Dean had already passed out, still holding Cas' hand.


	29. Chapter 29: Dean

Chapter 29

Dean

The following morning, Dean squinted his eyes open. His body was programmed to wake up at around six every day, so he guessed that was what time it was.

Despite everything that had happened with Cain and the Mark and Crowley, and all the drama with Cassie and Sam, he felt…peaceful.

That was the most satisfying bit of sleep he'd gotten in a long time.

Dean went to move his arm –

And found that his hand was caught by another.

He jolted fully awake and opened his eyes wide with a gasp, taking in his surroundings.

He was wrapped around Castiel's Torso like he was a body pillow, Dean's leg snuggly tucked between the two of his.

He blushed and looked up. "H-hi," Dean said sheepishly. _Ugh God, when am I ever shy?_

Cas smiled gently. "Good morning."

And then it all came rushing back. Dean being exhausted and damp from a shower, entering his room expecting to down a few beers and get a good night's sleep…only to find that Cas was there waiting for him.

Dean could still feel the ghost of Cas' hands all over his body, the heat and pleasure they'd exchanged the night before.

Groggily he sat up fully, breaking from Cas and covering his lower half with the bedsheet. "Did you stay the whole night?" he asked with surprise.

"I didn't have much of a choice," Cas said, his familiar, gravely voice a comfort in the dark of the morning. "You wouldn't let go of my hand."

Dean stretched and cleared his throat. "Sorry," he mumbled, crossing his arms over himself.

"You don't have to apologize. It was pleasant."

Dean found himself biting back a smile. Cas' blunt honesty was refreshing, sometimes.

Cas sighed, the sound etched with worry. "You talk in your sleep. You're quite fitful."

And other times it wasn't. Dean sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, there's a lot to be stressed about lately, but nothing I can't handle."

"Dean," Cas said, warning in his voice. "We still need to talk."

"If it's about the mark, I don't want to hear it. It's too early."

Cas took hold of Dean's arm, his grasp gentle but firm. "It's not what you think."

Dean was still too dazed to argue. "What is it?"

Castiel planted a soft kiss on Dean's lips, surprising him.

It didn't turn into a lascivious make out session, however. After a few soft presses, he pulled away and said, "I wanted to tell you that whatever comes with having this Mark…you're not going through it alone. We'll deal with the consequences together. I'm here for you."

Dean leaned his forehead against Cas' and sighed. He would never admit it, but that was the best set of words that he could've been told at the moment. Regardless, something still nagged at him. "As what?"

"How do you _want_ me to be?" Cas said.

"Why is it up to me? What do _you_ want?" Dean asked.

Cas wrapped his arms around Dean securely. "I want to protect you. I want you safe and happy. And I want us together, whether it's as friends, comrades…or…" he trailed off.

Dean stiffened. "I…I want to keep this…secret for now."

Cas laid his chin on top of Dean's head. "You're ashamed of me."

Dean flinched. "I'm ashamed of _me_."

"Because I'm a man?" Cas suggested. "I could occupy a different vessel if the gender of this one bothers you – "

" – Never," Dean said. "This body is yours, and I like it. Keep it." Seeing Cas as anything other than the trench-coat clad Angel with slight stubble and sky blue eyes he'd come to know and love would be unbearable.

"I'm glad you feel that way. I've grown quite attached to it." After a few seconds he laughed, realizing he'd accidentally made a pun.

Dean bit back a grin. "Wow. And Sam says _my_ puns are bad." But he was laughing too.

Cas hugged Dean tight as they both laughed before letting go and getting up out of bed, still in nothing but his boxers and black socks. "You should probably get up. Sam and Cassandra are going to wonder where you are."

"You're gonna want to stick around," Dean grinned, leaping out of bed and throwing on a pair of old, faded jeans. "Today I get to ruffle our Angel's feathers a bit."

* * *

After Dean threw on a shirt, he walked to the shooting range to find that a space had been cleared.

It turned out that Sam and Cassie had already been training for a few hours. To make sure she wouldn't accidentally cut Sam, she had been given two wooden poles to practice with instead of knives, and she actually wasn't half bad.

With one weapon, Cassie was…

Well, she was awful.

But when you gave her two, she became an entirely different person. She was quick, agile, balanced, and although she got knocked on her ass a few times, she was almost a match for Sam.

He was already out of breath and had to sit down.

Cassie wiped her forehead and pushed back strands of hair that had fallen out of her pony tail. "I can't believe it," she said. "I've never been in a fight in my life."

Sam laughed weakly. "You must have been. Nobody fights like that on their first try." He drank from a water bottle and stood back up again.

Cassie blushed. "I think you're just going easy on me," she admitted.

"I am," he said, grinning, "but your reflexes are still lightning fast, even when you know I'm not trying to hurt you."

She placed the sticks down and leaned up to give him a kiss. "I want to be strong so I can protect you," she said.

Sam shook his head with a soft smile. "I thought it was the other way around. I'm supposed to protect _you."_

She crinkled her nose. "Is that because I'm the woman and you're the guy?" she crossed her arms.

He smirked and bit down on her bottom lip. "No, it's because I love you."

She giggled and stepped away, picking up the two sticks again and getting back into a battle stance. "I know," she said, quoting Han and Leia from _Empire Strikes Back._

Sam smirked as he caught the reference, and immediately attacked her again, only to have it countered and her sticks smacked against Sam's forearms as he held them in front of himself in a defensive gesture.

"Good, but I was expecting that," he said.

Dean finally stepped out from behind the wall and walked in. "Hey Sweetheart, how's it going?"

Cassie grinned, momentarily letting her guard down to turn to Dean. "Hey! How'd you sleep?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Apparently really _well_. I can't remember the last time you slept in this late."

Dean froze. "Late? How late is it?"

"A little after twelve," Cassie said. She looked sweaty in her black tank top and jeans but her eyes were shining.

It was obvious she wanted to keep going.

Color rose to Dean's cheeks but he didn't respond to his brother's unspoken accusation. "Well, it's my turn." He stepped in front of Sam.

Sam immediately stiffened and scowled.

Dean could feel it from behind. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt her. You know that."

Sam didn't feel any less uncomfortable with this, but he sat back down to watch.

"Put the sticks down," Dean said, putting up his fists.

Cassie blinked, suddenly unsure of herself, but did as she was told.

"Come at me," he said.

But Cassie hadn't been prepared for this. "I – "

"–There might come a situation where you don't have any weapons on you. You still need to be able to win a fight with your bare hands."

She gaped. "Against _you_?"

Dean smirked. "I'm bigger than you but that doesn't mean anything, it just means you have to approach me differently. Bigger targets fall down harder, so your main objective is to somehow get me on the ground, where you can do some actual damage. Go ahead and try."

Cassie bit her lip in contemplation, her nervousness amping up a few notches. Despite that, she scanned Dean, trying to look for the right opening.

But Dean already lunged for her and got an arm around her waist. "You took too long. You're not gonna have that kinda time on a hunt," he said, flipping her onto her back.

"Oomph!" It didn't hurt but it made Cassie more motivated to try again. She got back up and went to land a punch at Dean –

But at the last second Dean pushed Sam in front of her. She gasped and immediately made an X around herself to pull back her fist so it wouldn't hit Sam.

Sam fell to his knees but stood back up, frowning at Dean "What the hell was – "

" – There is also almost a guarantee that you will be faced with a creature who knows your weaknesses. One of the biggies is obviously Sam, and they'll try to use that against you. Like a shifter, for example. If you came into contact with one and it made itself look like Sam, would you be able to hurt it?"

 _Shit_. Cassie hadn't thought about that. Her natural instinct of course was to care for Sam. She healed him unconsciously because _even in her sleep_ she was concerned for his health and well-being. His support and devotion was what had given her the strength to activate her angel blade and bust them out of Amarandos' Estate, and her love for him had guided almost all of her actions up to this point.

It would be an extremely hard habit to break.

"That's what I thought," Dean said. "Know that I don't say this to target you or push your buttons, I'm just sharing what I know from experience."

Cassie nodded. If she was going to go with them on hunts, she needed to be prepared for anything and everything.

Dean's teaching was ruthless and harsh but Cassie knew that all of it had logic behind it and none of it was unnecessary.

But within fifteen minutes she was completely spent and ready to collapse.

Dean smirked, putting his hands on his hips. "See? I didn't hurt her," he turned to look at Sam. "She's not bad, though. Twenty two year old me would get my ass kicked if it was fighting twenty two year old _her_."

"Damn right, it would," she said out of breath, laying on the floor.

Dean grinned. "Well, unlucky for you, I'm not in my early twenties. I am a well-seasoned warrior, so get your ass back up so I can knock it down again. I'm just getting warmed up."


	30. Chapter 30: Rectification

Chapter 30

Rectification

Sam left Dean and Cassie's training session to grab a beer.

But on the way down the hall he ran into none other than Castiel.

 _Huh?_ "Hey…Cas…" Sam said hesitantly. "I didn't know you stayed the night."

Cas looked to Sam and had an expression on his face like he was going to explain, but then caught himself and nodded. "Yes," he simply said.

 _But angels don't need to sleep,_ Sam thought. "Well…I'm just gonna…grab a beer. If you want to see Dean, he's in the Shooting Range with Cassie." Sam pointed a thumb behind him.

"Cassandra," Cas corrected out of reflex. "I can't stay. But thank you. I'll be in touch." There was a brief fluttering sound and then Cas was gone.

Heat rose to Sam's face as he continued down the hall and assumptions started forming in his brain at lightning speed.

Most of which involving Cas and his brother… _together._

Why else would Cas stay the night? He wasn't human anymore, which meant he didn't require sleep. Cassie was with Sam the whole time, so he hadn't stayed for her…

Nothing else made sense.

And it would also explain why Dean woke up so late and didn't even try to explain himself, he just got anxious and avoided the matter altogether. To be honest, all of the behavior that Dean was exhibiting was reminiscent of the aftermath of a one-night stand.

The concept of Cas and Dean together _would_ be something to get used to. A friend he'd had for a long time and his brother who'd been by his side since the beginning… _dating?_

He would of course be supportive, but it would be strange. Normally when it came to dating Dean and Sam stayed out of each other's business. They didn't know much about each other's love interests because it was outside of their field of interaction.

Which included cheap motel rooms, fast food, weapons and monsters.

But if the love interest in question was _Cas_ …

Well that's not something that could be put on the back burner. They were normally in contact with Cas on a daily basis. He was a major part of their lives.

Just like Cassie had become a major part of his.

Thinking of them, he grabbed three beers instead of the intended _one_ , and then walked back down towards the shooting range.

When he walked back in, Cassie was on the floor, breathing hard but her eyes filled with a menacing gleam of determination.

Dean held a hand out to help her get up. "I think that's enough for today. You're not bad, Sweetheart."

With a smile she placed her hand in his gently, taking hold and using his strength to get her torso off the ground –

And then at the last minute used her weight to pull forward and flip so Dean ended up on his stomach, and she was on top of him, pinning him underneath her.

She giggled, still out of breath. "Not bad, huh?"

He laughed. "You're a real piece of work," he growled but he meant it playfully.

She squealed when he flipped so he was on his back instead of his stomach.

He blushed at the fact she was on top of him. And from that angle, seeing her looking down on him like that…her eyes looked just like Castiel's. The intimate morning he'd had with Cas and the passionate night they'd shared rose up again in his mind. He coughed and broke eye contact, holding his fist up to her. She bumped it in return. "Good job," he said quietly. "Now get off me. You've gained a few since you started eating all those pancakes."

She gaped at him in shock and hit his chest. "How DARE you!" But he smirked.

Her hits didn't even hurt.

Sam felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end at the sight of Cassie with his brother like that. He cleared his throat.

Dean waved and Cassie looked up and beamed when she saw Sam. "Did you see that? I finally got Dean on his face! I was pretty kickass, huh?" She immediately got up and ran to Sam, grabbing a beer from him.

He gave her a one-armed hug but over her shoulder his eyes narrowed at Dean.

Dean caught the look this time as he was getting himself up off the ground, but scrunched his brows in confusion. _What's_ _ **your**_ _problem?_

"I did see. You were great," Sam said, but Cassie noticed a shift in Sam's mood.

When they were practice-fighting she had felt strongly connected to him. Not just as a pair of lovers, but as partners in combat.

It felt… _right._

But she picked up on the fact that he was stiffer than before he'd left. His body language was giving off that he was irritated.

She held a hand up to his face. "What's wrong?" She worded so Dean wouldn't hear.

Sam looked down and shook his head. "I'm fine. How about you go get a shower? I'll let you go first."

She immediately picked up on what that was code for. _I need to talk to Dean._

She knew that he knew that she knew, but she nodded and walked back up the hall with the beer in hand.

Once she was gone, Sam turned to Dean.

"What's the face for?"

 _You seemed pretty happy pinned between Cassandra's legs_. "Nothing."

"Yeah, okay," Dean scoffed, crossing his arms. "What's up?"

Sam ceased glaring at Dean. "I wanted to talk to you about Cas."

Dean took a beer from Sam and popped the cap, taking a huge swig to steady his growing nerves. "If it's about lunging at you yesterday, I don't blame him. I mean, if she were my sister I would've acted the same way."

"You kind of did," Sam said, not hiding his contempt. "But in hindsight, you made a lot of good points."

Dean suddenly scowled. "That was a low blow, by the way. Asking if I wanted her here. You made it sound like I don't."

"You _didn't_ at first."

Dean scoffed. "Come on, _really_? We didn't _know_ her then, I just made a decision on the basis that she was a supernatural creature and we didn't know jack about her! But we do _now_. And true, she has abilities and she's proven to be powerful but we know she'd never harm us. And she's so young…" Dean swallowed, "It bothers me…a lot, that she was on the streets for as long as she was."

Sam took a deep breath, the idea bringing anxiety to his mind as well. "Yeah, I don't like thinking about it either."

"But this isn't what you wanted to talk about," Dean prompted.

Sam looked him dead in the eye and said, "You're my brother. No matter what. You know that, right?"

Dean raised an eyebrow. "…Yeah?" he wasn't sure where Sam was going with this.

Sam's expression suddenly changed to something softer. "So you know that no matter what kinds of decisions you make, it doesn't change the fact that I'll always have your back."

"Just spit out what you're trying to – "

" – I know that Cas spent the night," he finally admitted.

The trick they often played on each other was making a statement, and in doing so making it sound like they knew more than they did. Then when the other person started confessing and talking about what they thought you knew about, it ends up confirming the other person's suspicions.

But Dean was tense and silent.

That was all the confirmation that Sam needed. "I'm just saying…it doesn't matter," he reassured, not going into details.

Now it suddenly all fell into place in Dean's head. Sam was saying he knew about Cas and Dean being intimate, or at the very least suspected it, and that it didn't make a difference. And he also understood that Dean wanted to keep it secret and didn't want to talk about it, and that didn't make a difference, either.

Of all the things that had happened between them, most of their quarrels involved a woman. Lisa, Ruby, Amelia, the list went on. But Dean liking a guy wasn't even on the list of things that would bother Sam.

It meant more than Dean could say.

Before he could respond, his phone started going off in his pocket. The caller I.D. was 666.

"Crowley," Dean muttered and picked up. "Did you find the First Blade?"

 _"Not…exactly,_ " Crowley said on the other line. He sounded odd, like he was strung out or drunk.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Well then _what,_ exactly?"

 _"I'm in…a jam of sorts. Thought you might help."_

Dean looked up and met eyes with Sam.

"Pack up. We gotta go."


	31. Chapter 31: Intervention

Chapter 31

Intervention

"Not happening," Dean said.

Cassie was standing there, damp and clean from her shower, fully dressed and ready to go with her arms crossed. "You're not leaving me here by myself while you both confront the King of Hell – "

" –It's just a milk run, Sweetheart. Crowley sounded like he was drunk or something, he's not on his A-Game."

"Well then if it's going to be such an easy task then why leave me behind?"

Dean scowled. _Dammit._ "Cassie, this is big. Huge. I can't even – "

" – I'm not some kid you have to shelter from the world, I'm a grown adult, a fully functioning Angel – "

" – That's up for debate," Dean cut her off. "You can't practice for less than a day at sparring and then think you're ready for a fight. Sam and I have been training since we were kids. And you still don't know your way around a gun."

"I've been skilled in combat since before the world began," she countered, pursing her lips.

 _Ugggh. **Really?** You're gonna play **that** card?_ "It doesn't count if you don't remember!"

"You saw me when we practiced, I'm ready!"

"What I _saw_ is that you have one huge weakness. Sam."

She blushed. "We're not dealing with a shifter, it's just Crowley."

"You don't know Crowley like we do."

"Then this would be a good learning experience."

 _Goddammit._ "Cassie, we need you safe and hidden! After you reduced the Brontes Estate to nothing but the end result of a _Jenga match_ , every supernatural being is going to be out looking for you!"

"I can take care of myself!"

" THAT'S NOT THE POINT! An Angel with human weaknesses? You're like the last twinkie in zombieland! Everyone's gonna want a piece."

Cassie glared up at him. "I'm not getting left behind. Not when Sam's going."

"That's _exactly_ why you're getting left behind. We're gonna be dealing with Demons and you don't even have any anti-possession charms of tattoos or anything – "

" – Actually, she does," Sam said.

Cassie turned around to look at him, her soft eyes full of obvious affection.

He smiled warmly and knelt down to her level, pulling something out of his pocket.

In his palm was a shiny silver necklace with a pentagram pendant, encrusted with what looked like tiny white crystals.

She immediately recognized it as the same symbol that was over Sam's heart.

She didn't realize it was an anti-possession tattoo.

 _We match,_ she thought. Her eyes grew watery. "Oh, Sam…" she put a hand over her mouth. "I can't…"

"If you're going to be out in the field with us, you need protection," he said simply, but he chewed his lip.

His signature sign of anxiety. _He's afraid I won't like it._

Before she took it she threw herself at him in a tight hug. "It's beautiful," she mumbled into his chest.

He hugged her close, kissing the top of her head. "Never take this off. Stick close to me, don't be out of my sight for a second and you'll be fine."

Dean took a deep breath, holding in his frustration. "Okay Princess, here's the deal."

 _Shit._ She turned back around to scowl at Dean but then saw his expression.

His jaw was tight and his eyes were cold. "This isn't a test run, this is an actual Hunt. We're looking for an ancient weapon that will kill a Knight of Hell, we're going to be summoning a demon for information, confronting Crowley, and possibly doing other things that involve breaking the law. _You_ are going to do _exactly_ what we say, _when_ we say it, _how_ we say it. This is not me being an asshole, this is me personally handing you a prescription for NOT DYING."

She didn't say a word, just stared at him, frozen.

Dean paused for a minute, not breaking eye contact. Then pulled out a silver glock from the back of his jeans and tossed it to her.

She caught it was nervous fingers, not daring to let it hit the floor.

"Practice loading and reloading it. Don't turn the safety off. Keep your blades on you at all times, not in your bag, they need to be accessible. And know that there is not _one_ part of this _entire_ fucking thing that I'm okay with. You should _not_ be coming and the _only_ reason you are is because I know you'd find some way to tail us if we left you behind."

And with that, Dean stomped off the Driver's side, opened the door and plopped himself down, slamming the car door shut.

Sam turned to her after that whole speech and sighed. "What Dean is _trying_ to say is he needs you to be careful," Sam grinned, and tilted his head towards the backseat of the car, lifting an eyebrow. The message was clear.

 _Get in._

She smirked at him, and with a quick kiss, took the necklace out of his hand and slid into the back seat.

After Sam got in and everything was loaded up, Dean started up the car and turned up a Metallica song. Dean Code for "Not in the mood to talk."

Cassie looked down at her hands.

One held a gun from Dean, the other the pentagram necklace from Sam.

Both loved and cared about her, and gave her a form of protection, in their own ways.

Cassie fastened the necklace around her neck so it hung at the base of her throat. Then she started practicing loading the cartridge with bullets.

It made her fingers hurt, and the more bullets she put in, the harder it was to push in the bullets that followed afterwards _. I like my blades better._

But this was the condition of her coming.

 _I may be an Angel, but with the Winchesters, I'm a Hunter._

 _I have to be._

* * *

When it was dusk, Dean stopped the car on the side of a crossroads, then got out of the car and headed for the trunk.

"Okay, for this I want you to stay in the car," Sam said, turning around towards the backseat so she could see his face. "We're going to summon a crossroads demon to get information on where Crowley is. We don't want all of Hell knowing who and where you are, so just sit tight here. We won't be long."

Cassie sighed and crossed her arms, looking away. "Just be careful," she said quietly. "Please."

"This is the easy part, Babe," he said, making her blush.

He tilted her chin up so he could plant a kiss on her lips. "I'll be back," he whispered, and then pulled away to get out of the car. "Stay hidden."

She nodded and laid down the back seat so she was flat and couldn't be seen.

She heard a rustling from the trunk, and saw Dean and Sam walk towards the center of the crossroads with a box after she heard the trunk slam shut.

 _They won't be long, just stay safe and they'll be back soon_.

Her nerves were going haywire but she forced herself to take a deep breath and calm down.

 _You sure you can do this?_ Sarah's voice mocked. _You're pretty pathetic with a gun._

Cassie immediately stiffened, feeling a tightening in her chest. "Shut up," she said out loud through gritted teeth.

It was becoming a physical effort to shut her out, and she was out of breath before she succeeded in muffling Sarah's voice again.

But how much longer was she supposed to do this?

 _Just stay hidden until they get back…_

She had the gun on safe in the waistband of her jeans and her two blades across her chest, griping them tightly.

It felt like eons before Sam and Dean finally made it back to the car.

"We found out where he is," Sam reported in, putting one of his hands over hears in reassurance. "I'm typing the address into the GPS," he directed at Dean.

After another thirty minutes of driving they found themselves at a ritzy looking hotel.

"Here comes the illegal part," Dean said.

* * *

Crowley finally made it back to his hotel room in one piece –

To turn around and find that Moose was in a chair, glaring at him, Lizzie standing next to Moose holding his hand in hers, and Squirrel leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, shooting him a dirty look.

"Hello, Boys," he said, trying to appear casual. "And Lizzie."

She bit her lip in contemplation, immediately eyeing the brown paper bag that Crowley held.

She looked paler than the last time he'd seen her.

"And, what do you call _this?"_ Dean said, moving the body part of a corpse on the floor by briskly wiggling it with his foot.

"I do apologize for such an obscene mess. If I'd know that Lizzie would be coming, I would've cleaned the place up. Oh, I also would have if I'd know you were going to ambush me in my own room."

Sam stood up, letting go of Cassie's hand. "What's in the bag, Crowley?"

"Nothing," Crowley said a bit too quickly.

"Really? Maybe I can uh…" and Sam walked up to Crowley, grabbing the brown paper bag from him.

After a bit of rummaging he pulled out an AB positive bag of human blood.

Cassie swallowed, resisting the urge to cover her eyes.

Crowley caught the expression and realized it bothered him far more than it should have that she was so shocked by it.

 _It's all the damn human blood, making me…human._

"What are ya, knocking over _blood banks_?" Sam exclaimed, shooting Crowley a cold stare.

Crowley didn't respond, just stared blankly at the ground.

Dean and Sam both worked like clockwork to grab Crowley and quickly chain him to the arm of a chair, pushing him down to sit.

"Come on, guys, Crowley said, but it was half-hearted.

"Look at you, you're a mess. You know we were counting on you, and you let us down!" Dean exclaimed.

Sam frustratedly gestured towards Crowley. "Your slimy followers were counting on you to kill Abaddon and you let _them_ down!"

"The Man with all the mojo. Captain Evil." Dean shook his head.

"Oh, it's pathetic," Sam scoffed.

Crowley widened his eyes in disbelief. "What is this?" he protested. "An intervention?!"

Sam bent down to get in his face. "You need to _focus,_ Crowley. Get a grip!"

"What, you're just gonna let Hell go to _Hell_?!" Dean said.

Crowley growled out, "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE HUMAN!"

All three of them shot him a look at the same time.

 _Right. That wasn't the best comeback._ "It's your DNA, it's my _addiction._ My cross. My BURDEN." Crowley looked pained. "I've seen the darkness of it now. The Anthony Weiner of it. It makes you NEEDY!" Crowley glanced over at the corpse of a woman in the bedroom to the left. "I needed _her._ Lola used me. She reported everything I did back to Abaddon."

Sam and Dean immediately met eyes and tensed.

"Crowley…" Sam began, "did you tell her…about the First Blade?"

Crowley's eyes were shutting as if trying to remember. "I don't know. Things get a trifle blurry when I'm…medicated."

 _Medicated?_ Cassie looked over at the bag of blood in Sam's hand. _Does he drink_ _ **human**_ _blood?_ She crossed her arms over her stomach, feeling nauseous all of a sudden.

Sam's mind was racing. "Great. If he told… _Lola,_ she _definitely_ told Abaddon."

"Which means that Abaddon's in the hunt for this thing too. Alright you know what, this crap ends now." Dean leaned down to look at Crowley straight in the face, even through Crowley shaking his head. "You're cut off. Kay? Kickin' it. _Cold turkey_."

Sam took the bag of blood and dumped it in the trash, then made a barely perceptible nod towards Cassie.

 _Get in the car,_ it meant.

She nodded, going out of the room first, heading down the stairs to get to the main street.

Being that it was two weeks from Christmas, the weather was atrociously cold. She wrapped her Carhartt tighter around herself as she made her way back to the Impala.

 _Jesus, what are we gonna do_ _ **now?**_


	32. Chapter 32: Suspicion

Chapter 32

Suspicion

The thirty minute car ride back to the Bunker was uncomfortable, to say the least.

Cassie stood stock-still, almost not daring to breathe. She sat directly behind Sam, clutching at both of her blades, not even looking at Crowley.

Crowley was in hand cuffs in the seat behind Dean and spent the entire ride trying to get her attention. "You're obviously new to this whole hunting thing, so I wanted to formally apologize for the situation that you walked into when - "

"– Crowley, shut your trap," Dean said from the front before Sam could step in and stab Crowley in the face for trying to talk to Cassandra.

"I'm just trying to apologize because I know I upset her - "

"–WHY DO YOU CARE?!" Sam snapped from the passenger seat, his jaw tensed.

Cassie put her blades down in her lap and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

He relaxed a bit and leaned his head back so that it was laying on one of her arms. She gently stroked his hair to calm him down.

Crowley noticed the display. "You boys still haven't enlightened me on who this lovely young woman is," he pointed out.

"You don't need to know," Dean countered.

Crowley sighed. "I'm high as a kite on human blood, you could probably tell me _anything_ right now and I wouldn't even remember it."

"Be that as it may –"

"– My name is Cassandra," Cassie said, turning to look him directly in the eyes.

Dean and Sam both looked to her in surprise, tensing up.

"You're a demon, I'm a hunter. You're the reason that Dean has a mark on him that makes me feel ill just being around him. You're also killing innocent people so you can get your kicks and I'm a person who happens to value life in all its forms. So as far as I'm concerned, we have no reason to be speaking."

Crowley flinched. _Don't talk like that, Lizzie_. "I was human once too, you know. In fact I was almost human _again,_ you can ask Moose. He had quite a hand in it. And I'm not the only one in this metal death trap that got my kicks from taking in blood – "

" – Crowley I swear to God if you don't shut the hell up I'll slice and dice you right here and now," Sam growled.

 _With me in the car?_ Cassie looked at him in surprise. What did Crowley mean, he wasn't the only one?

After that an awkward silence fell over the four of them.

When they finally pulled up in front of the bunker, it was dark and Cassie was grateful to be out of the car.

"Go with Sam," Dean commanded, and Crowley shuffled down into the bunker behind Sam.

Dean pulled at Cassie's sleeve, signaling for her to stay behind.

She turned around in surprise.

Dean waited for the door of the bunker to close.

Then he looked down at her. "I just wanted to let you know that you handed all of that really well. It takes a special kind of talent to put up with Crowley."

She shrugged. "I actually thought I did pretty badly. Hunters aren't supposed to be queasy around dead people, right? Death happens all the time."

Dean shook his head. "You dealt with it extremely well. The first time I saw a dead person on the ground, I puked."

Cassie gaped at him in shock. "Really?"

Dean grinned, remembering. "Yeah, and the first time I killed something, I was a mess. Sammy was too. You did great. I'm sorry for being so harsh earlier, it's just that's how it is on hunts. There's no room for error."

She nodded. "No, I know." She stared at the ground for a minute and then hesitantly stepped forward to hug him.

He wrapped one arm around her in a return-hug.

"Thank you for letting me come," she said. "I would've been more of a mess if I'd been left behind."

Dean felt a pang in his heart. "I know. I gave Sam shit for him not being smarter with you up in Maine…but I know that he means a lot to you."

"You do too," she immediately countered. Cassie pulled away to look up at him. "You didn't have to change your mind and take me back. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even _be_ here."

Dean shrugged, blushing. He was glad for the darkness. "You grew on me, I guess. Not to mention you're Castiel's sister. You're family." He looked her dead in the eye. "I don't turn my back on my family."

She bit her lip. "I'm not used to _having_ family, but – "

"–Dean? Cassie?" Sam called.

They turned around and saw Sam standing at the top of the stairs.

Cassie played with her hair, then walked over to Sam. "Hey. We were just talking. Let's go." She headed down the stairs.

Sam however, stayed put and waited for Dean to walk up.

After Cassie was out of sight, Dean whispered to Sam, "You should talk to her. She's a bit rattled after everything tonight. But all things considered, she held her own pretty well."

Sam's arms were crossed. "I'd appreciate it if when you decide you're going to have a private word with my girlfriend, you tell me first."

 _You know what? Fuck this._ ""What the hell has been your problem?!" This was her first time in the field and I just wanted to give her some words of encouragement!"

Sam stiffened. "I see how you look at her."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Admiration is one thing, but I saw you two in the shooting range. When she was on top of you."

 _Oh, great._ "That wasn't – "

" – Save me the bullshit. I saw it."

 _It's not because of that._ "I didn't know she was going to do that when I held a hand out for her to get up! I don't see her that way!"

Sam scoffed. "Oh come on, _really?_ You share the same taste in music, you both bicker back and forth like you're an old married couple and you know things about her _I_ don't even know. And whenever you two make eye contact I see how you react!"

" _We_ bicker bath and forth, too! WE'RE DOING IT RIGHT NOW!"

Dean took a deep breath and tried to steady his nerves and not punch his brother for being so stupid. "I only know that she sings in the shower because of the time when she was first here and I was heading down the hall to tell her to speed it up and she was singing, and I asked her about it later. And I only know about her flipping shit when she's woken up because I tried to when we spent the night at a motel, which had _two_ beds, by the way, and she crossed her arms over herself."

Sam shook his head. "And you're telling me that the private talk you two just had was _just talking_?"

 _Oh my God, you idiot_. "I am _so_ fed up with your constant suspicion and this bitch fest you've been on. Okay? Ever since you two got back from Maine you've been possessive, irritable and overly-protective, and even _Cassie_ sees the change! If you don't wanna trust _me_ , then fine, but you should sure as hell trust _her_! She fucking _adores_ you!"

Sam winced. _Don't bring her into this_. "If you really have no romantic interest in her what so ever, then why do you look at her the way you do?"

Dean had to come clean about this, or it would just keep popping up and getting in the way of his focus. He needed to concentrate on the task ahead, and that was finding the First Blade and ganking Abaddon. He glared at Sam dead in the eye. "You wanna know why sometimes when I make eye contact with Cassie I freeze up and get shy and self-conscious?!"

Sam froze, not expecting Dean to admit to feeling _anything_ like the two adjectives he just used to describe himself.

"It's because _sometimes_ , in the right lighting and at the right angel, _she looks just like Cas_."

Sam's eyes widened in shock. But before he could respond, Dean brushed past him and went down the stairs into the bunker.

"Now let's cut the bullshit and _find_ this damn thing," Dean muttered under his breath.


	33. Chapter 33: Normalcy

Chapter 33

Normalcy

Once everyone was in the bunker, Sam grabbed his laptop and headed with Crowley in tow towards the dungeon room they had for detaining Demons, much to Crowley's disgruntlement.

Cassie could immediately tell that Dean was stressed about something. His entire body was tense like he wanted to either punch something or collapse onto a bed.

She placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "What happened?"

Dean sighed and shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Sweetheart," he said.

She frowned. "Sam did something," she said.

 _Nothing gets past her._ "There was a misunderstanding that I cleared up, that's all."

But Cassie refused to have the issue brushed off. "I thought family wasn't supposed to keep secrets from each other," she said quietly.

Dean smirked. "It's the _opposite_ , Cassie. In fact, once you start keeping secrets that's when you know you're really a Winchester."

Cassie felt color rising to her face when she realized she too, had started harboring a secret.

"Come on," Dean beckoned her to follow him.

He led Cassie to the library, then once they were in front of the shelves placed his hands on his hips and smiled.

This was the part of the library that Cassie had never seen before. Instead of books there were boxes upon boxes with the Men of Letters insignia on them, all labeled with different dates and titles, some of them being in Latin.

This was the most secret of the Men of Letters' Archives.

"Any chance you like reading?"

Cassie couldn't help grinning. "Every so often," she downplayed, but Dean knew that Cassie in her mind, she'd hit the jackpot for literary works.

"Well…how would you like to be the Oracle of Team Helsing?"

 _Don't jump up and squeal, don't jump up and squeal_ …Cassie took a deep breath and in one fell swoop took the entire first shelf of boxes and quickly made it over to a nearby table. She opened the first box and immediately set to work reading.

Dean couldn't contain a smile either, seeing how excited she was. _God, she's worse than Sam._ He had to bite back a laugh.

He was astonished at how quickly she went through page after page, not taking any longer than twenty seconds to read each one.

That was three pages a minute.

 _Christ, the woman's an addict,_ he thought.

Once in a while she'd comment on a bit of information in the piece she'd read, but then continue on.

He sat himself down at the table with her, cracking open a beer and sipping a bit while he watched just consuming himself with his own thoughts.

In not so many words, he openly admitted to Sam about his feelings for Cas. He was still waiting for the consequences of _that._

He wasn't going to say anything but the absence of Cas' presence made him feel worse and Sam's outburst pushed him over the edge. He wasn't pining for his bro's girl. It was more like his bro's girl's bro.

 _Good God, I sound like a bad soap opera_ , he thought.

In hindsight, he couldn't completely blame Sam for being so overly protective of Cassandra.

Dean knew without a doubt that if he hadn't entered the picture, and Jess wouldn't have died, Sam would've proposed to her by now and they'd be happily married somewhere.

He'd been ready to spend the rest of his life with that girl, and just as he was starting to build a life for himself, she was burned alive right before his eyes.

And he hadn't been able to do a damn thing about it.

Nothing ever came of the attraction to Sarah Blake, except she ended up dead.

Madison was down for the count too. That had been hard because Sam was forced to kill her himself.

He wasn't even going to bring up the whole _Ruby_ Fiasco.

And although nothing bad had happened to Amelia, _that_ had been an emotional roller coaster for Sam, too. He would've left Dean for her if her husband hadn't come back.

Cassie was the first woman that Sam actually had a chance to be happy with. She was strong enough to withstand their life style, being of Angel heritage. Plus she knew what life was like on the run. She was adapting quickly, and although Dean had a bond with Castiel, he understood the appeal of Cassandra.

Most women who grew up hunters were harsh and rough around the edges. They were great in a fight but not the best relationship material. They were too bitter from all the things they'd been through to be thinking about something like romance. They were phenomenal at sex, but there was no telling who they'd been with before you, and they'd be the first one dressed and out the door. They usually occupied themselves with tossing back shots and crafting silver bullets.

But Cassandra, although she'd been through her own version of hell, was sweet, caring, and doting on them both without being too motherly or submissive. She just so blatantly cared about them, and made it obvious without trying. She was cutesy and not the girliest person on the planet, but definitely feminine.

And she was by no means, weak. Cassandra maintained a perfect balance of womanly and strong. She was really shaping up to be a fine hunter. And she wasn't just brawns, either. She had the smarts to back it up. She really was one of a kind.

Now that Dean thought about it, a lot of the time the women in Sam's life had pursued him, actively flirting with him and handing him their numbers.

But Cassandra being the textbook-example of virgin was too shy to do anything of the sort, and it was a change of pace for him. It made Sam learn patience because she had to go through those steps of intimacy one by one.

In a way, she was good for them. She was sassy enough to keep Dean in check, gentle enough to calm Sam when he was stressed and strong enough that she gave Castiel purpose. A reason to keep hunting for Metatron and reopening Heaven so he could make a home for his baby sister.

She completed them.

Dean understood why Cassie meant so much to Sam in such a short span of time.

But his gut told him that because of their strong feelings for each other, it was going to end badly.

He looked up at her from his thoughts, seeing the way her dark brown hair, so much like Cas' fell in her face as she was reading, her stark blue eyes darting across the page she was reading with lightning speed.

A lump in his throat had formed. _You're important to me too, Sweetheart_ , he thought. _Between the three of us, we'll make sure nothing happens to you._

After a few moments more, Sam emerged with Crowley behind him. "We've got a lead," he said.

Dean nodded, taking the last sip from his beer. "I'll meet you in the car, Cassie's staying this time."

Cassie nodded briefly, not looking up from what she was reading.

Sam turned to leave but then did a double take, regarding her with a gentle smile.

She was in a light blue tank and jeans, her hair tied back in a messy bun and she had papers all around her. Her necklace glistened around her neck under the light of the desk lamps.

"She's a bookworm, just like you," Dean said quietly, his eyes conveying endearment and warmth.

 _I feel like an idiot,_ Sam thought to himself. Dean felt for Cassie the way he felt about Sam. A brotherly love, affection and protectiveness.

Even _he_ had to admit the resemblance between Cassie and her brother surprised him at times. Dean catching Cassie at a certain angle every so often and freezing up would make sense. Dean's attraction for Castiel was more than reasonable.

It would make sense for the Winchester brothers to have the same taste in partners.

 _Okay, that just got weird,_ he thought.

"You're both two peas in a pod," Dean said, looking up at Sam and meeting his eyes, breaking him out of his reverie.

A brief, unspoken conversation happened between them.

 _Am I getting an apology anytime soon?_

 _I was a dick, I'm sorry._

 _I know. Bitch._

 _Jerk._

Dean smirked and nudged Sam on his way up the stairs, bringing Crowley with him.

Sam turned to Cassie and knelt down to her level. "Hey," he whispered against her ear.

Her trance immediately shattered and she gasped, blushing brightly. "H-hey," she said back, flustered.

Sam cupped her face in his hands and gave her a slow, passionate kiss.

 _Mmmnn_. Cassie returned the kiss with fervor, biting down on Sam's bottom lip.

 _Damn, don't do that or I won't leave._ He pulled away, out of breath. "We're picking this up when I get back."

Cassie was bright red in the face and her eyes were shining. She bit her lip and nodded. "We better," she said shakily.

He smiled. "Don't forget you can text me. If you're hungry, there's a stash of money we keep on the kitchen counter for takeout, and all the menus are on top of the mini fridge."

"I know the drill," she said back with a soft smile.

Sam gave her a once-over. _How did I get so lucky?_

She did the same in return, noting his tall stature. He was muscular enough that he wasn't lanky, and his hair was long but not too long. His eyes glistened a grayish hazel. _Please be safe._ "Don't keep Dean waiting. He needs you," she reminded him.

He nodded, taking the stairs up to the vault door. "We won't be long," he said before exiting.

Cassie went back to her reading, awaiting their return.

And she smiled as slowly but surely, she felt a routine forming.


	34. Chapter 34: Information

Chapter 34

Information

Cassie went through packet after packet of information like they were bags of candy. Eventually she learned that Sam and Dean were the grandsons of Henry Winchester, a Man of Letters in the 50's. Sam and Dean were the last descendants of an otherwise dead secret society.

 _Wow, and they initially had no idea._

They were raised hunters, so they had the best of both worlds. Brains _and_ Brawns.

On top of that, she read all about the other members of the Men of Letters. After a Massacre in 1958, (compliments of Abaddon) there were none left, not including the list of inactive members.

There was about an hour and a half of peaceful and thorough reading before the pains started.

They were sharp and made it hard for Cassandra to breath.

 _Oh, that's fun. I've never been able to do_ _ **that**_ _before._

It was Sarah.

"Stop it," Cassie snarled through gritted teeth, and did her best to mentally build up a wall around Sarah again.

 _Let me ask you something_ , she said and she kept squeezing Cassie's abdominals. _Did you ever wonder if your all of a sudden heightened abilities and fighting skills and my new favorite game are_ _ **linked**_ _?_

"Shut the fuck up –" Cassie groaned but the pain just flared up and she cried out. The pain was so excruciating it caused her to fall out of her chair.

 _Maybe I can just get rid of you like this,_ Sarah said _. I can finally have a life, and you would disappear._

"Once again," Cassie barely managed to choke out, "Killing me wasn't an option when we were with Amarandos. You really think if…GAH! Dean and Sam come back here and see that I'm not me, they're not gonna want….UGH! To kill you themselves?"

Sarah's grip on her loosened just enough that Cassie was able to completely quarantine Sarah in a cement enclosure in her mind. Cassie's body finally relaxed, and the pain was momentarily gone.

She was gasping for air and shaking, clammy and spent like she'd just had a seizure.

A light bulb went off in Cassandra's head.

Even though Amarandos didn't get the chance to finish the spell…maybe performing it halfway had some side effects. Like her muscle-memory coming back, or the fact she could pick up on things so quickly, like Dean's Mark.

Maybe it was the equivalent of giving her spirit an espresso? Stimulating brain activity and heightening energy. What if having the oily potion on her skin and in her pores was enough to give her abilities a jump start?

 _But the problem is it gave **Sarah** a jump start too_ , Cassie thought, clutching at her waist.

Cassie knew she couldn't live like this forever. It wasn't like she could shut off her abilities. It felt like the more she used them, the more vulnerable she made herself to Sarah's psychic attacks.

The worst part was she couldn't tell any of the boys about it, because what could they possibly do? The only way to make Sarah go away completely was to perform the spell, which could potentially end her life. Sam and Dean would never forgive her if she got herself killed, not to mention it would destroy them.

And even if she _wanted_ to perform the spell, she heard Amarandos talking when she was stalling for time. He was talking about ingredients that literally would've taken thousands of years to track down and find. The whole ordeal sounded impossible, plus the only person who knew how to read Enochian was her brother…

 _And Crowley._

At that moment the vault door opened, and Dean descended.

He froze when he saw Cassie on the floor, clutching at her stomach.

Sam stepped in with Crowley in tow but immediately bolted down the stairs to get to Cassie.

"Oh God, what happened? Are you okay?" Sam took her in his arms and stroked some loose curls of hair out of her face.

She breathed out a sigh of relief. It was easier to forget about Sarah and keep her under control when she wasn't alone.

And Sam's presence always brought her a calm serenity and peace.

Her voice was weak. "I'm okay I just had really…uh…bad… _cramps._ " She couldn't look him in the eyes.

It wasn't a _total_ lie.

"Are you sure? How'd you end up on the fl –"

" – Really, Sam, I'm okay," She gave his cheek a soft, quick kiss. "I'm alright." He helped her get back up to a standing position. "I did a lot of reading. Apparently, you two are Legacies."

Dean ran a hand through his hair and flexed his arm. "Oh, well ya know…I mean, nothing major or anything," but he was grinning, like he was proud of it.

 _Oh, they already knew. She rolled her eyes._ "Okay, Blue Steel, so what happened?"

Dean scrunched his face but then answered. "Okay, so Sam and I are gonna pose as FBI agents for the zillionth time and check out the National Institute of Antiquities. It's about a 25 minute drive from here, so you stay put and keep Crowley in check."

 _Wait, what?_ "You're…leaving me all by myself…with the King of Hell?"

"Relax, Lizzie," Crowley said, "You're the only one out of the four of you that I don't have any inclination to kill." Crowley swayed a bit where he stood, jingling his handcuffs. "Also, I'm drunk."

"That doesn't exactly make me _feel_ better," Cassie said.

"He's cuffed, you have weapons, he's a sentimental sap right now, and you're a badass. You're good," Dean winked at her.

She crossed her arms, but couldn't keep a smile off her face. "And I can't come with you because…?"

"It looks weirder if three FBI agents show up to investigate something instead of a pair, we don't have a fake badge for you yet, and someone has to stay behind and babysit Crowley. Sam would normally be the one to do it but…he almost killed him in the car."

Sam huffed, glaring at Crowley.

 _Works for me, because I need to get him alone._ "Okay. I'll hold down the Fort," she said.

"Awesome. We'll get him in the Dungeon so you don't have – "

" – I don't think that's really necessary," Cassie said.

Sam appeared extremely eager to do so, however. "Cassie, it's bad enough we're leaving you here on your own – "

" – I can handle it, Sam. You guys'll only be twenty five minutes away, I have you both on speed dial, and it's obvious that Crowley wants this blade as much as we do so he has no reason to stop us from getting it."

Crowley smiled. "I like her. She's actually got brains. She'll make good company for me."

"Fine." Sam shot her a look that said _, I don't like this, but I'm trusting you. Be safe._

"We'll be back, Sweetheart," Dean said and they both headed back up the stairs.

As soon as the Vault closed, she was shot with a question.

"So you and Moose are an item?"

She smirked. "I don't see how it's any of your business," she said.

"Yes, then." Crowley grinned. "So what is it you want from me, Love?"

She froze. "What makes you think I want something?"

Crowley sat down in one of the chairs at the table, crossing one leg over the other. "Why else would you volunteer to stay behind? You and Moose are obviously attached at the hip which means the only way you'd ever be away from him is if you _wanted_ to be. Now why on earth would you want something like that? Well I'll _tell you_ , Lizzie. Because what you want is something that you couldn't get if your Knight in Shining armor were around. So what is it?"

 _Damn._ She blushed. "The Enochian on the back of my watch. I need the full translation."

Crowley rolled his eyes. "Bollocks, you've all been back and forth about that bloody watch. I could do it, but what are you willing to give me?"

 _I better play my cards right._ She immediately got a bad feeling in her stomach. "What do you want?" She asked with her arms crossed, trying to mimic the aura of quiet confidence that Dean so effortlessly emitted.

She was failing.

Crowley sighed. "To be honest a scotch would hit the spot right now," he said.

 _Oh. Wow._ She shrugged and went to the liquor cabinet, grabbing a bottle of Dewar's White and a crystal glass, placing both in front of him.

"You're a lovely waitress, Lizzie," he regarded her with obvious warmth and immediately poured himself some. He took a sip and made a face. "Ugh, not a very good scotch, is it…" he mumbled to himself.

"Sorry," she said, "It's all they had."

"No need to apologize. I can't expect those two to know a good scotch from a shitty one."

Cassie sighed and took off her watch, placing it on the table in front of him.

There was already a pen and paper.

Crowley sighed but set to work. It took all of five minutes to write down. After he was finished, he slid it over to her. "Considering you went to such great lengths to convince Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dumber to leave you here so you could have an audience with me, I'm going to operate on the assumption that you want this kept between us," he guessed.

She scowled. "I'm probably never going to use this," she admitted. "I just wanted it for…just in case."

Crowley grinned. "Well, what are you going to give me in exchange for my silence?"

 _Damn, really?_ "What do you want?" She asked again, grasping her temple. If Dean and Sam could see me now…

Then again they were perfectly fine with working with him, so why should she be so apprehensive?

Crowley placed his elbows on the table and propped his chine over his folded hands. "Information," he simply said.

 _Crap._ "What do you want to know?"

Crowley smiled. "I love how cooperative you are, it's a refreshing change of pace." He took another swig of the scotch. "Well first of all, the boys are making an obvious effort to keep you behind closed doors. I want to know why."

 _Don't tell him the whole truth, just pieces._ "Six years ago I was involved in an incident where a lot of people were killed. After a run-in with Sam and Dean, I told them my story and they took me in. They're protecting me from the police, mostly."

"Intriguing," Crowley said, "But that's the theatrical version. I want the _Director's Cut."_

She scowled. "I don't like remembering," she snapped at him. That wasn't a lie.

At all.

Crowley sat back in his chair. "What happened to cooperating? Unless of course you wouldn't mind me slipping up about this in front of your Dearest Sam."

 _Ugh, now I understand why Demons are so awful. They exploit your weaknesses to get what they want, and they hit you at your most vulnerable points_. "There isn't much else to tell. I'm a fugitive that they took in out of the kindness of their hearts."

"And they're training you to _hunt_?" Crowley pointed out. "I think they want you here out of more than just _the kindness of their hearts_."

"That's not a question," she countered.

"I wasn't asking," Crowley said back dangerously. "I already know that bit. I suppose all of my questions stem from the same root. _Why are you so important_?"

Cassie looked at the ground. "I'm not. I don't understand why they think I am."

"Bollocks," he said. "You have to have _some_ idea. You're not an ordinary woman, that's for sure."

 _Not an ordinary_ _ **human,**_ _woman, anyway_. She blushed.

"You know something," he said.

"I know quite a lot of things, now," she said. "I've been reading the Men of Letter's files, so my knowledge on matters of the supernatural have definitely extended past what most normal people know."

Crowley scowled. "Don't play dumb. I know you're smarter than Moose and Squirrel combined, so I KNOW that YOU know what I'm talking about. There's one crucial piece of information I'm missing that everyone is keeping me in the dark about, and I want to know what it is."

Cassie smirked. "I'm surprised you didn't deduce anything based on what I had you read on my watch."

Crowley scoffed. "It's just a grocery list for Christ sake! I have half of those items in my pantry! I know it's instructions and ingredients for a spell but it doesn't say what for, there's just some gibberish about _rising from your slumber_ and _embracing the sun_ , which sounds pretty painful, to be honest."

She grabbed what he'd written and folded it, putting it in the pocket of her pants. "The spell is for – "

Suddenly her phone was buzzing in her left pocket. She grabbed it out immediately to see the Caller I.D.

 _Sam._

She picked up. "Hey."

" _Hey, Cassie. Dean says you've been reading into our Archives. Did you find anything about the members of the Men of Letters?"_

"Yeah. Want information on anything in particular?" _Jeez, I feel like a secretary, giving information, answering phone calls…_

" _We need to know if there are any surviving members of the Men of Letters from the Massacre in 1958."_

 _Hmm…"_ Do you want me to include the inactive members too?"

There was a pause on Sam's end. _"What do you mean,_ _ **inactive**_ _?"_

She put the phone on speaker, placed it on the table and then shuffled around for the right stack of papers. "Well there's an entire box dedicated to a Man of Letters named Cuthbert Sinclair who went Rogue. According to the paperwork, he's the one who actually designed all the warding on the bunker. He was named Master of Spells after he was initiated, but his work went a little crazy and the rest of the society went so far as to call his projects "eccentric" and "irresponsible." They forced him to resign."

"What happened to him?" Sam asked.

She found the right file and pointed. "There's an entire stack here of projects and suggestions created by him that are all rejected. It says he was formally separated from the Men of Letters in April of 1956."

Cassie heard a distant, "That's my girl," from Dean.

She grinned. _Oracle of Team Helsing._

"So he missed the massacre," Sam said. "You're amazing, Cassie."

She blushed. "Not really, I'm just parroting information."

Crowley interjected, "I never knew his name, but I heard someone was out. I did my damndest to find him. I thought he could be my way inside this joint."

"So where'd you look?" Dean said, hearing Crowley on speaker.

He shot Cassie a look. "We're continuing this discussion at some point."

She crossed her arms. "Fine. But for now, lead the way."


	35. Chapter 35: Stakes

Chapter 35

Stakes

Cassie had been ready to get poofed wherever it was Sam and Dean were, then rendezvous with them to the place that Crowley had previously gone to search for Cuthbert Sinclair.

But Dean said on the line that it was better if the King of Hell didn't accompany them. Considering the fact that Sinclair was the one who designed most of the spells on the Bunker, there was no doubt that Sinclair's hideout would be warded up to the gills from things like Crowley.

It would look suspicious if two hunters showed up with a Demon in tow, anyway.

So grudgily, Cassie sat through Crowley using her phone to direct the boys where to go.

Afterwards, Sam briskly hung up, leaving the two of them together alone.

Again.

"Now, where were we before we were ever so rudely interrupted?" Crowley said with a smile.

But Dean's words rang in her head. _An Angel with human weaknesses? You're like the last Twinkie in Zombieland! Everyone is gonna want a piece._

She had to get off the subject. "What did you mean before, in the car? When you said you weren't the only one who got their kicks from blood?" She asked.

Crowley frowned. "That's not a bed time story you'll want to fall asleep to."

"Tell me anyway," she said.

He poured himself another glass of scotch. "Well, once upon a time there was this little thing called the Apocalypse, which the Boys we both know and love managed to prevent. However, there were moments leading up to that you might not like hearing about, involving a certain demon and your darling Sam."

 _I should just tell him not to talk about it. If it's something in Sam's past I should wait for him to confide in me about it…_

But he got so defensive in the car. What if it's something she'd never know otherwise?

It couldn't change her view of him since it happened so long ago. She did things long ago she wasn't proud of.

But then again Sam knew about those things and accepted them. So no matter what it was that Sam had done in the past, she could accept it too.

"It won't change how I feel about him," she said, looking him dead in the eye.

Crowley grinned. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Lizzie."

Her gaze didn't waver, however.

 _Huh, this girl isn't playing around_. "Alright, then tell me. Which do you think is worse, a Demon getting high on human blood, or a Human drinking Demon blood?"

 _Wait…what?_ The dots were all there in her mind, but for some reason they didn't want to connect themselves.

Cassandra was starting to feel sick and she wasn't sure why.

"Your Sam had a long-standing affair with a demon named Ruby. He didn't know it at the time, but she was training him to kill a high demon called Lilith so that the party could start. To do so, he was drinking her blood regularly."

Images of Sam appeared in her mind. The way his eyes looked in the Impala the day they were intimate for the first time, how warm and strong and comforting he was the day they spent in her bed all day making love, the feeling of her hand in his, his smile, the way he held her…

 _It's impossible_. "H-how long ago was this," she sat down in a chair at the table facing Crowley, the immensity of what he'd said weighing down on her.

"Five or six years ago. I was too busy running things on my end to witness it, but Hell's network is more efficient than Wall Street. Somehow, someway, I find out about all the goings-on in the World."

Cassandra didn't bother accusing him of lying. She remembered how Sam reacted in the car, and what reason did Crowley have to lie?

But she couldn't believe it.

Crowley's words echoed in her mind.

 _ **Somehow, someway, I find out about all the goings-on in the World."**_

 _If I tell him that I'm an angel, I might as well announce it to the entire world. Hell would know, Heaven would know…_

But wait. What if the other Angels could help? Maybe find a way to get Sarah out of her…

But they'd probably want her to go back to serving Heaven the way she used to.

And she wanted a life with Sam.

Telling Crowley was definitely not an option.

"I'll spare you the gory details. _Literally_ ," he teased, taking a sip from his scotch.

Cassie flinched. She knew it was a long time ago…

But an image of Sam conjured itself in her mind, biting and sucking the neck of some girl while he held her in a romantic embrace.

It was weird and made her uncomfortable to think about.

And from that image an insecurity reared its ugly head: Cassie was not the first woman Sam had been with. There had been several others.

Women who might have been prettier than her, more experienced, knew what they were doing in the bedroom…

She shoved it all away.

 _I can't think about that now -_

And then it hit her.

It wasn't a pain like when Sarah was messing with her body.

It was ten times stronger.

The irrevocable, unshakeable feeling that something was wrong.

Sam was in danger.

"Crowley, where did they go to find Cuthbert Sinclair?" she asked in a rush, getting out of her chair and throwing on her coat, lacing her boots up as quickly as she could manage.

Crowley was taken aback by her sudden flurry of movement. "Uh…about forty miles from here, why?"  
"Sam's in danger," she immediately said, straightening up and looking and Crowley with an intense stare of panic. "Please take me there. We have to go NOW."

Crowley held his hands up. "My hands are tied, Darling. Literally."

"I'll let you free, just take me to where you told them to go. PLEASE."

Crowley regarded her with fresh eyes. "You're not human," he realized with sudden clarity. "How do you know Moose is in – "

"–PLEASE WE DON'T HAVE TIME!" She held her hands over his shackles, not taking the time to look for a key. " _Sic liberare constringantur vincula vestra,"_ she chanted in a rush and the shackles undid themselves.

"I've gotta remember that one," Crowley mumbled to himself. "Tell me what you are and I'll take you – "

"I'M AN ANGEL, OKAY?! I'M AN ANGEL! NOW PLEASE!" She grasped his hands in hers, urging him to action.

He stared at her, unbelieving for several moments.

And then when Cassandra opened her eyes again they were in a clearing of trees.

The Impala was parked to the side but other than that, there was no sign of Sam or Dean.

"Shit shit shit UGH!" She started pacing back and forth, her head in her hands. "What do I do? There's nothing here!"

"THIS WHOLE TIME, YOU'VE BEEN A BLOODY ANGEL?!" Crowley kept his distance from her, in regards to the newfound information.

She didn't even hear him.

She only had one objective.

Find Sam.

"It's probably just invisible. There's got to be something here, it's just hidden, like the Bunker. But where?!" She exclaimed, going into panic mode. She hadn't even bothered to grab Suan Ywe Gou or her watch back from the table, so she was unarmed _. God, I'm such an idiot!_

They both looked up at a sudden rustling of branches and the sound of foot prints.

Emerging from the brush was Sam.

Cassie almost sank to the ground. "Oh, thank God," she gasped.

The second Sam saw her he rushed over. "Magnus has Dean."

 _Wait, what?_ "What do you mean, Magnus?"  
"Sinclair. He has the First Blade. He intends to keep Dean along with it since they're a matching set. Magnus is some psycho collector who – "

" – How do we get in?" Cassie asked.

"We don't," Sam said, his expression of panic and worry mirroring Cassandra's. "Sinclair is the only one who can let us in. There's no doors or windows."

 _Wait_ …Cassie took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

 _Think…think…_

Sinclair was a master of Spells…

 _He created all the warding to keep demons and monsters out of the bunker. He probably used the same kind of warding to protect himself._

 _He used spells to keep them out._

And then it hit her hard.

 _I've got it._

"We can use a spell to get in. We'll _make_ a door. There was a spell listed in Sinclair's File, back at the Bunker." Cassandra's heart and mind were racing.

Sam nodded, going over to Crowley –

And the two men vanished.

 _Am I ever going to get used to things like this?_ Cassie wondered.

It was about two minutes later when they were back with the File.

Sam walked back over to Cassie, flipping through the papers when he found it. "You're right, Cassie. There's a spell for getting in. But we need some things."

* * *

Nothing existed for Dean.

Not the memory of Cas' body against his.

Or his brother Sam.

Or the obligation he felt to Cassandra.

He didn't feel anything.

Not even the searing burn from the Mark of Cain on his arm.

He was completely drained of anything and everything he'd ever felt.

He felt like he should be moving, or trying to move.

But he didn't have the energy.

All of a sudden everything was so much effort and it almost exhausted him to keep standing.

He wanted to speak but opening his mouth took as much effort as it took to multiply three digit numbers in your head.

Magnus grinned. "Interesting effect huh? All thought, all will just…drained out of you. I do this enough…you'll be ready for whatever I have in mind."

Dean heard the words but they didn't really process. If they had, they would've made him frustrated and pissed. But he didn't feel anything.

That is until another Dean rounded the corner, hand in hand with Cassie.

It was the most sobering sight he could've been given. "CASSIE IT'S A SHIFTER!" He screamed.

Cassie immediately processed that there was another Dean, trapped against a pillar and slipped his hand out from the other Dean's.

"KILL IT! IT'S NOT ME!" Dean cried.

But she didn't have any weapons on her.

Sam appeared from behind however and shoved Cassie behind him, stabbing the shifter as it transformed into its actual self, then fell to the ground, dead.

They both looked up to see a man with dark combed hair and a gun in his hand, pointed at them.

"See? There _are_ benefits to keeping a zoo," he said with a smirk, and his eyes widened at the sight of Cassie. "You weren't here before. Don't tell me. You're a hunter too?"

She immediately stepped forward, in front of Sam. "Something like that," she downplayed.

But Magnus knew better. "I was wrong to disregard you so quickly, Sam. And you keep such lovely company…" he motioned with the gun for the two of them to stand up against other pillars in the room.

Cassie stared at the barrel of the gun, terrified.

"It's okay, Cassie, just do it," Sam whispered to her. "We'll get out of this."

After they were both at each pillar, held there by the end of Magnus' gun, Magnus strolled back over to Dean. "This is much easier. Forget zapping my _own_ energy so I can drain your will…this is _much_ better motivation to get you to do what I want."

After picking up a random blade off of a display stand, he strolled over to Sam. "All I have to do is –" and he sliced a top layer of Sam's cheek.

Bright red blood ran fresh down his neck, and he groaned out in pain.

Cassandra couldn't handle that. 'NO!" She screamed, not caring that Magnus was holding a gun, running across the room to get to Sam so she could stop this –

And then crumpled to the ground after there was a loud bang and she felt a sting to her leg.

"CASSIE!" Sam immediately shoved Magnus to the ground when he wasn't looking, trying to grab the knife from his hand.

But Magnus had a gun in one hand and a sharp blade in the other. Sam was only armed with his fists.

 _I have to get up, she thought,_ even though she couldn't move her leg _. I have to get up...I have to help Sam…and Dean…_

Tears were streaming from her eyes, her leg stung so much as she crawled across the floor at a snail's pace, trying to get to Sam so she could protect him.

And then there was a clashing of metal shackles and Dean had sliced off the head of Magnus.

Sam was on the floor with her, holding her close to him.

Magnus was nothing more than a pooling puddle of blood on the floor by the time Dean was finished with him.

Cassie looked up and although her vision was blurry, she could see Dean's entire arm was shaking.

The Mark of Cain was glowing, and in his hand…

Was the First Blade.

Crowley appeared from behind the corner and at that moment everyone was staring at him, waiting for him to drop it.

He didn't.

And there was a look in his eyes like he wasn't fully there.

He was Dean, but he wasn't at the same time.

"Dean," Sam said, trying to get through to him, but Dean showed no change, or even any indication that he'd heard Sam.

All he did was stare at the First Blade in his hand.

"Dean…hey, it's over," Sam tried again, but once again, Dean ignored him.

Slowly Dean's eyes started to change into something darker and more monstrous.

"He's dead," Sam insisted, but Dean still couldn't hear him. "Drop the Blade, Dean..."

Dean was shifting, right before their eyes. Becoming more hate-filled, more angry –

"Heeey Juude," Cassie sang quietly, brokenly. "Don't make it baaad…"

Dean's head finally snapped over to look at where the singing was coming from.

"Take a saaad sooong…and make it beetteerrr…" her voice cracked a bunch because of how weak she was and her singing was airy but everyone in the room fell silent to listen. "Remember, to let her into your heart, then you can staaart…to maaake iiiitt beetteerrr…"

Dean's eyes began to soften, and suddenly he was Dean again.

"Hey Juuude…don't be afraaaiiid…You were maaade tooo go out and get heerrr…the minute you let her under you skin, then you begin to make it betteeer…"

 _Jesus, no_ …He feel to his knees in front of Cassandra, his eyes pooling with tears.

"And any tiiime you feel the paaaaiiin, hey Juuuude refraaain, don't caaaarry the woooorld upooon your shoooulderrrs…"

Dean let the blade in his hand clatter to the floor and he immediately started weeping, a hand over his mouth and the other hanging loosely at his side.

He didn't want to fall to pieces and cry like that in front of Sam and Crowley but hearing such a soft, sweet, broken voice singing that song called to the parts in his soul he forgot he had.

The pain in him that missed his mom.

Cassandra had without meaning to, filled in that space in his life.

Wounded, in pain, and bloody, she was still trying to sooth him and heal him, when _she_ was the one who needed help.

That's what mothers did.

Crowley stepped forward and they were all suddenly outside again.

It had gotten dark and cold, and the drop in temperature immediately stole Cassandra's breath away. Sam wrapped himself around her to keep her warm, but it was obvious they all needed to go home.

"Crowley, Cassie's bleeding, we have to get back to the Bunker ASAP –" Dean began, wiping his eyes but he looked around and saw that Crowley was gone.

And so was the First Blade.

"Son of a bitch, you've gotta be kidding me!"

Dean's phone immediately buzzed.

He pulled it out of his pocket and saw there was a text from Crowley.

 _I am indebted to you boys. You forced sobriety on me, and for that I am grateful. I'll hold onto donkey teeth until such time as you locate Abaddon._

"Bastard."

Sam sighed. "He knows Abaddon isn't the only being on our hit list. If we had the first Blade, there was nothing stopping us from killing him."

"Yeah, he bolted to save his own skin. Figures."

Cassie was starting to get dizzy from all the blood she was losing, and she was fading in and out of consciousness.

Sam's heart dropped at the sight of her like that and in one quick motion picked up Cassie bridal style. Dean saw the state she was in and immediately opened the Impala's door, threw a sheet down over the back seat and then moved so Sam could lay Cassie down.

He plopped down in the front seat and immediately started up the car.

Sam sat in the back with Cassie, holding her so that she was laying in his lap, doing his best not to jostle her too much. "We have to get her back to the bunker," Sam said, closing the door as gently as possible. He held an arm over her protectively.

Dean nodded, driving much faster than the speed limit allowed. "Get pressure on her leg! The First Aid kit's under the seat," he said in a rush.

But Sam had already taken off his flannel shirt so he was in just a tank top and tied it in a knot around Cassie's leg to stop the bleeding. He kept pressure on it and prayed that they'd get back to the bunker in time.

"Hang in there Cassie," he whispered, but she was unconscious. "Can you do that for me? We're almost home." A tear fell from his eye despite his best efforts to keep his emotions in check. "You're gonna be okay, you just have to hang in there. I'm not losing you." He stroked her hair out of her face.

She was scratched and bruised up.

Again.

Because of him.

"You're so brave," he said, barely audible. "You're so strong and so amazing and brave." He pressed his forehead to hers. "You'll make it through this. You have to. I'm not losing you."

 _I can't. If I lose her it'll end me._


	36. Chapter 36: Fight

Chapter 36

Fight

It was a forty minute drive back to the bunker.

Dean got them there in twenty.

He ran to unlock the door, then bolted down the stairs and immediately used his arms to push everything off of the study desk so Sam could lay Cassie down on its surface.

"Take off her jeans," Dean said quickly, taking off his coat and using it as a pillow to prop her head up. "I need to get the bullet out of her leg."

Sam complied, feeling sick to his stomach. He gently undid the button on her jeans and slid them down and off after untying his shirt from around her thigh.

Cassie was so pale and delicate, she looked like she could shatter.

Sam started to repeat a mantra in his head _. She's going to be fine, she's going to be fine._

A leg wound wouldn't normally be fatal, but she'd lost a lot of blood, and losing consciousness was never a good sign.

"Med Kit," Dean commanded, gingerly tying some gauze around her thigh to put pressure again.

Sam grabbed it from inside one of the desks and opened it up.

By this point Dean's hands were sticky with Cassandra's blood. He wiped his hands on his shirt. "Dial Cas."

Dean made quick work of grabbing some rubbing alcohol so the wound wouldn't get infected, pouring some over her leg then lifting it up to clean it –

"No," Dean took in a sharp breath. "Fuck this is bad."

The bullet had shot clean through her leg.

There was no bullet to extract.

If she were laying down and there was no exit wound, she wouldn't have lost as much blood because it would've stayed in her body. But because there was a bullet wound in the back of her leg, it meant she was bleeding from both sides.

Sam was pacing back and forth, waiting for Cas to pick up but he wasn't answering. "Come on Cas, please," he whispered to the phone, willing him to answer.

Dean took out his lighter and burned the tip of a sewing needle from the med kit, preparing to give her stitches.

His fingers shook but he willed them to be steady so he could slip the thread through the needle's eye, and once that was done, he sutured her up quickly. It wasn't the fanciest job in the world but it was fast and efficient.

"Sammy, towels," Dean said in a tone like it was a question for permission.

Sam's heart pooled with anxiety. _Don't call me, that. It's never good when you call me that._

Sam ran down the hall to grab towels from the bathroom. He bolted back down and threw them at Dean, then went to the kitchen to fill up a buck with water.

"Is that water sterile?" Dean.

"Yeah," Sam said, looking on at Cassandra's face, avoiding glancing at her wound at all costs. "Cas isn't answering." His voice was dead, devoid of energy and hope.

"I've been praying," Dean said. "I know his mojo isn't quite to par but it's better than nothing."

 _Come on, Man, Dean_ prayed. _This is your baby sister we're talkin' about. Where are you?_

After her wound was cleaned and dried, all they had left to do was wait.

Wait for Cas to show up, if ever.

Wait for her to wake up…

Sam wasn't even trying to hold back tears. He took her hand in his, holding it. He pressed a finger against her wrist.

"Her pulse is weak, but it's there," Sam said, barely audible.

Dean stood up and folded his arms behind his head, pacing, filled to the brim with stress and guilt. "She saved our asses," he finally said, turning around. "Why did she come to find us? Why wasn't she armed?"

Sam looked up from Cassie's face to Dean's. "I don't know," he said.

"We were completely screwed back there," he continued. "If she hadn't showed up with Crowley…I don't know what would've happened."

"I would've found you," Sam said, but even _he_ didn't believe that.

Dean shook his head. "No. Even if you _had_ found me, Magnus put me under a spell that drained me of all will and motivation. I was his _slave_. Cassie was the only one who could snap me out of it."

She did it twice.

Seeing her hand in hand with a shifter was a wakeup call, and if she hadn't started singing that song…

"She was stupid and crazy to do it, but Jesus…what would we have done? How did you even make it back in?"

Sam swallowed, trying to think back. "She…she'd been reading the files. She remembered seeing a spell to get in, so Crowley took me back here to get it so we would know what ingredients to have him grab."

Dean sighed. "I don't know how the fuck she knew to come, but she saved our lives." Dean bit his lip, swallowing his grief. "But it's not worth it if she's paying for it with – "

"– DON'T. SAY IT," Sam growled dangerously, glaring. "She's going to be fine."

Dean didn't even argue it. He didn't want to.

He wanted Sam to be right.

"GAAAHH!" Cassie gasped and jolted awake, clinging to her middle. "AAHH!" She was screaming.

It made Sam and Dean both jump. Sam immediately got up from his chair and hugged her to him. "Cassie, what's wrong?!"

Tears were streaming down her face and she looked like she had problems breathing. "HURTS….SO….BA – " She whimpered and her entire body tensed, trying to absorb the pain.

"What the hell is going on with her?!" Dean cried. He rushed over to her other side and took her hand in his. "Sweetheart, you're safe, you're okay, just breathe!"

Cassie's entire body was rigid, and she was making the same outbursts and exclamations of pain that one would expect a woman to make when she was giving birth.

"Make it stop make it stop," she begged to no one in particular, her desperate cries ripping their hearts out. "PLEASE STOP PLEASE!' But it just wouldn't.

The excruciating pain just kept going, and getting worse.

"What is it, Cassie?!" Sam held her by her shoulders and looked into her eyes, full of pain and glistening with tears.

She was sobbing and gasping for air at the same time. "S- " She could barely finish, her arms were crossed over herself. "S-" Her eyes closed and she clenched her teeth, the pain was so bad her vision was going. "S-S-Sarah," she managed to choke out, and her head was thrown back as she let out another pained wail.

 _Wait…Sarah?_ "Oh my God," Sam's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's impossible."

"Kill me," Cassie begged. "Sh-sh-she said it'll stop if I'm d- AAAHH!" Sam at this point was the only thing keeping her held up and form crumbling on the floor.

Sam brushed back her hair with his fingers and looked her straight in her eyes. "No baby, I'm not gonna do that. You know why? You're stronger than this. Fight this. She's not real."

"Yes she is, S-Sam," she sobbed. "S-s-she's real and she's h-h-hurting me."

 _I swear to God, I could kill this bitch._ "No. She's not even a person. She didn't make it to the stage of being a person. She's trying to live through you and make you suffer but it's because she's jealous. Jealous of you. How beautiful you are, how kind, how strong, how loved…" He pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss, then pressed his forehead to hers. "Fight her. Fight this. You can't give up."

Sam held her close to him. "Dean and I worked so hard to get you back home so we could fix you up. You saved us, we want to save you back," he whispered.

Cassie's fits stopped and she was taking deep gulps of air, shaking. She pushed herself from Sam, then growled, "Get back in your Cage, BITCH!" She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes, screaming with the effort to push Sarah back inside the confinement cell that she kept her in.

And then Cassie collapsed.

Sam caught her in his arms. She was breathing hard, finally able to get air.

Dean ran to the kitchen to get her a glass of water.

The room was stained with the echoes of her screams the coppery scent of her blood, and everyone was exhausted.

Once Dean came back with the water she gulped it down like it was her first glass of water in days.

"Easy there, Sweetheart," Dean hushed, helping her hold the glass.

Sam wiped off her tears with his thumbs. He waited for her to stop shaking and calm down, and once he did, he walked down the hall, holding her bridal style, with Dean close behind him.

Once they made it to Sam's room, he gently put her down in bed, covering her up with the duvet.

She groaned with pain, but it was just from her leg this time.

"You gave us quite a scare back there," Dean said. "You okay now?"

She nodded. "Yeah," she said hoarsely. "I owe you guys."

Dean scoffed. "Are you kidding me? If you hadn't showed up with Crowley, I would've been Magnus' new favorite toy and Sam would probably be dead. We're even."

She sighed. "But if I hadn't gotten shot – "

" – If you hadn't had to come and save us, you wouldn't've been shot in the first place," Dean corrected. "Why did you come, anyway?"

She closed her eyes, she was so tired. "I felt you were both in danger. I don't know how or why, I just knew."

Sam smiled, holding her hand again. "You can consider yourself an official Hunter now. You took a bullet for us, you're pretty handy with spells, and you've got more guts than Dean and I combined."

Cassie smiled. "I seriously doubt that," she countered.

Dean crossed his arms. "So…how does this whole two-people-inside-one-body thing work?" Dean asked her, completely serious.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she bit her lip. "It's never been that bad," she admitted. "It's probably because I was so weak…she had an advantage over me. I wasn't strong enough to fight her back like I usually am."

"Whataya mean _usually_? How long has this been going on?" Dean adopted a parental tone to his voice, like she just admitted to having a nasty drug abuse habit.

"I…my whole life," she whispered. "But…but it's only been over this past week it's gotten out of hand. She was never able to put me in pain before, she was just this voice I would hear every so often. I thought it was my subconscious or something, I never thought it was another person."

 _Shit, this is bad._ Dean's heart raced with newfound anxiety.

Sam climbed up onto the bed, sitting next to her on the opposite side. "We can ask her more about it in the morning," he said, looking at Dean pointedly. "She's had a long night."

Dean sighed. "Yeah, we all have. Okay." He stretched and yawned as if to prove Sam's point. "Goodnight." He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Sam striped down to just boxers and threw on a T-shirt, then turned the lamp off and snuggled in bed next to Cassie, making sure not to bump her leg.

He was still holding her hand, and he laid on his side so he could face her.

"You could've told me about Sarah," he was whispering, knowing she was about to fall asleep. "I know what that's like, to have another person inside you head, tormenting you."

Cassie's eyes were closed, but her heart was pounding. "How?" she asked, just as quietly.

He sighed.

 _So he doesn't like this subject_ , she thought.

"Five years ago, I agreed to be a vessel for an Angel."

 _Oh, Sam…"_ Who?" she asked.

Sam didn't say anything for a while, but then finally uttered one word.

"Lucifer."


	37. Chapter 37: Sassie

**Author's Note: So the way I name each chapter is I write the chapter, read through it after I'm finished and try to find the theme that occurs the most, then proceed to name the chapter after said theme. The most reoccurring theme in this is "Sassie," as my brother calls it, which is the ship name for Sam and Cassie.**

Chapter 37

Sassie

"You don't mean…" a lump formed in Cassie's throat.

Sam held her hand tighter. "Yeah, that one."

"Oh my God…" he had literally been possessed by the Devil.

Images from the Exorcist came to mind.

"I'm no stranger to possession," Sam said, still talking quietly in the darkness. "About a month before we found you, I was possessed by a different Angel named Gadreel. He'd lied about who he was, claiming to be named Ezekiel. Before that, I was going through a series of trials in an attempt to close the gates of Hell, forever. But it was doing irreparable damage to me. Dean tricked me into allowing him to possess me so that he could heal me. But to be honest, I was so tired and beaten and weak…I had been ready for it all to be over."

Cassie stiffened. There was a moment she'd been ready for it to be over too. Until Sam reminded her why it was she was fighting in the first place.

Because Sam and Dean were fighting too. And they fought to keep her alive.

"I understand what you're going through," he continued, rubbing his thumb over her palm. "Being stressed and scared, constantly anticipating more psychic attacks…and once you acknowledge in your head that they're real and have control, everything gets so much harder."

Tears sprung to her eyes. _I should've confided in him sooner. He understands what it feels like. Sam could've talked me through it, helped me find a way to get a hold on this._

But now it was too late. Sarah wasn't just some voice giving snide comments, anymore. She had so much more power, and now Cassie was constantly living in fear.

"Dean told you about the four months he was in Hell, right?" He asked.

Cassie cleared her throat, trying to stop her tears. "Yeah," she whispered.

Sam bit his lip. "I spent time in Hell too."

Cassie didn't care about her leg and how it hurt. She moved so she could hold Sam head against her chest. She hugged him to her, stroking his hair, laying her cheek on the top of his head. "Tell me," she said.

It was hard for her to listen, but she didn't do it because she wanted to. She knew that Sam needed to confide in someone about it, and she had a feeling it wasn't something he could ever talk about with Dean.

It was easier to talk about it in the dark, with his eyes closed, in the warmth of Cassie's embrace where such things seemed distance and far away, like it had all been nothing more than just a huge bad dream.

"There's a cage in Hell…where they keep Lucifer. My soul was stuck in the cage with him for a year."

Cassie's heart stopped. _Please tell me you mean in Hell time…_

Dean had been in hell for four months, which equated to forty years.

If he'd been in hell for three days real time, that would roughly make up one year in Hell.

"Your brother had managed to save my body and bring me back to the surface, but my Soul had been left by accident in the cage with Lucifer."

Sam stopped talking for a minute.

"Babe?" He noticed how tense she was.

It took everything Cassie had to keep her voice even. "A year in Hell time or real time."

 _Oh, that's what this is about_. "A year in real time, Cassie."

"Oh God…" _NO!_ Her heart felt like it was going to combust.

Her sweet, caring Sam…always so protective and considerate of her and others, was in Hell, trapped, for…

"It would be over 120 years in Hell time," Sam confessed, wrapping and arm around her. "While I was in the cage, I was Lucifer's personal punching bag. He tortured me and abused me in ways you can't even imagine. When my soul was finally rescued and put back where it belonged, I was damaged. I was hallucinating, seeing Lucifer. He would talk to me, try to get my attention, and I'd see him in front of me when he wasn't actually there. I did a pretty good job of making him go away, but the moment I acknowledged him, he'd gained power, and I didn't have control anymore."

 _Oh God, Sam…_ She clung tightly to him, wrapping her good leg around his waist.

Sam was probably the only man on the planet who knew what it meant to share a body with another entity, and the pain of what it was like. She knew that he was getting closure from confiding in her about his experience, but it was also a way to comfort her, to show that she wasn't alone in what she was feeling. Cassie kept a hold of his hand.

"It got to the point that I had to be hospitalized. Lucifer wouldn't let me sleep, he'd make noise and sing songs to keep me awake. I couldn't eat, he'd messed with my mind to the point I'd see food as other things that I couldn't eat, just to torment me. He was killing me, Cassie."

She clenched her jaw, holding back tears.

Sam sighed. "Your brother saved me. He took on the madness and brokenness I was feeling to save me. He's saved both of us."

"Why." She was failing at trying not to cry. "Why do you all give so much of yourselves? Why? What's the point? Why do you, and Dean, and my brother all kill yourselves trying to help people? Why do you put yourselves through all of that suffering?!"

That was the big question, wasn't it? When it came down to it.

"Why didn't you ever finish law school? Why do you both hunt in the first place? Why is my brother the one fighting to reopen the gates of Heaven? Why is it up to Dean to kill Abaddon? Why him? Why you? Why do you all think it's up to you to save the world?!" Her voice was broken.

Sam just replied with, "Why do you?"

The question baffled her. "What are you talking about?"

"Cassie, you gave away your home to a complete stranger because they needed a safe place. You rushed to Magnus' to save me and Dean, and I bet you didn't think twice about it, did you? That's why you didn't bring weapons. You were in such a rush to get to us that you forgot."

In the darkness, she felt Sam clasp something cold and metallic onto her wrist.

Her watch.

"Why did you think it was up to you to save us? Why did you leave your home to wander the country at sixteen years old, sacrificing any chance of a normal life? Why did you run to save me When Magnus was cutting me up when you knew there was a chance you'd get hurt?"

She couldn't answer any of those questions. "I…"

"I'll tell you why," Sam said, kissing her forehead. He whispered, "It's who we are."

Cassie was exhausted and she wasn't fully processing everything Sam was saying, but he took the opportunity to update her on everything that they'd both been through over the past nine years. The yellow eyed demon who'd killed their mom, and their life long quest to find and kill it, their mission to find the Colt, going back in time on more than one occasion, being Soulless, Killing Lilith, Gabriel, Ruby, Balthazar, Lisa, Ben, Bobby, Garth, Kevin, Charlie, Jo, Ellen, Amelia, Mary being a hunter, Crowley's deception, all the run ins they'd had with supernatural creatures, Benny the Vampire, how they stopped the Apocalypse, meeting Death, Castiel opening Purgatory and becoming God, the Leviathans, everything he could possibly remember to bring up to tell his story.

Piece by piece, the gaps were filling in for Cassie and she was starting to understand just how amazing, strong, resilient and wonderful Sam and Dean were as human beings.

They sacrificed so much to help others.

To help her.

Before Sam could finish, she had fallen asleep.

And before he'd finished, Sam had too.

Cassie slept in the following day, and woke to find that Sam wasn't at her side. But there was a note on the side table with the lamp.

 _Cassie,_

 _Just went to go shower. If you need anything, text me, DON'T GET OUT OF BED._

 _-Sam (heart)_

Cassie giggled, kissing the note and putting it back down.

Her leg was throbbing with pain, but it was nothing compared to the agony she felt yesterday.

She needed coffee. And…

 _Wait a minute…_

She felt _wet._

She threw off the comforter…

 _Son of a bitch_. "Shit, really?!"

Of all times to have Mother Nature remind her she was a woman.

 _Dammit._

She had to get Sam's sheet washed before he noticed.

And she was in her underwear.

Of course. It made sense. _They probably needed to get my pants off to bandage me._

Could she walk?

She moved to a sitting position, wincing. _Ow._

She could do it. She just had to hop and she could make it to the laundry room.

Cassie had found a copy of the blueprints for the Bunker, so she knew there was a laundry room around the corner and down a set of stairs.

She stood up on her good leg, leaning against the night stand for support, then gathered up the stained bed sheet. It hadn't bled through to the mattress cover, so she probably got it a few minutes before she woke up.

 _I can do this, I can do this._ She started to hop, leaning against the wall with one arm, and holding the balled up sheet in the other. She focused on not bursting her stitches. "Fuck," it was a dull throbbing that was more annoying than anything else rather than painful.

She made down the curve of the hall and she was about to descend down the stairs when someone called her.

"Cassie!" It was Dean's voice.

 _Shit, no._ "Hey, I'm fine! I'm just –"

"What the hell are you doing out of bed? You shouldn't be walking on -" Dean walked down the hall and froze.

Cassie froze too.

He was in a pair of sweatpants…

And nothing else.

She immediately turned bright red and looked away.

"You're bleeding!" Dean rushed over to pick her up –

 _Oh God this is SO embarrassing!_ "DEAN PUT ME DOWN!"

"I need to check your wounds, the stitches probably burst - "

" – Dean I'm fine please please please put me down – "  
" – You're BLEEDING, CASSIE!"  
"DEAN IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF BLOOD!" She screamed, scrunching her eyes shut.

 _Oh God please just let me die right here right now oh God…_

Slowly it dawned on Dean what she was saying. Color immediately rose to his entire face. All he said was, "Oh."

And then for an unbearably long time they were both just frozen like that in the hallway.

All Cassie could focus on was the fact that she was being held by Dean, while he had no shirt on, which oddly felt _weird,_ and he was holding her while she was covered in blood. "Please put me down," she said with less fervor than before, completely and utterly mortified.

He slowly bent to place her feet on the ground and then he let go of her. She winced as she put weight on her left leg but to her credit, she didn't complain.

Dean's wide eyes shifted from her, to the bloodstained bed sheet, back to her, back to the sheet again, and wasn't sure what to say.

He finally blurted something. "At least this means you're not pregnant."

 _Did he actually just…_

Cassie's mouth dropped in shock and she immediately flooded so readily with anger she was two seconds from slapping him.

Without her realizing it, her watch transformed on her wrist and fell into her free hand as a blade.

Dean stared at it in even more shock than the bedsheet.

It was at this time Sam decided to finally step out of the bathroom into the hallway, dripping wet…

In nothing but a white towel wrapped around his waist.

 _Oh…my_ ….Cassie couldn't help but stare.

His body was contoured like it had been chiseled out of marble. He had the type of six pack that you didn't notice unless his waist was twisted, but there was just enough definition that you'd know he had one. He also had that V shape that men have in their hips, and collarbone was well defined…

Not to mention the rippled shape of his arms and his slicked back, soaked hair.

And there she was, unshowered, in her pajamas, no pants, blushing like crazy, clinging to a bloody bed sheet.

 _There is definitely no God,_ she thought. _If there was this occurrence would never ever ever have happened…_

'What's going on?" he asked, his eyes darting between Dean's red face, and Cassie's Angel blade.

Dean chose that opportunity to bolt. "I uh…I'll let uh…you guys…" he turned bright red and went into his room.

Sam looked to Cassie, then the bedsheet and his eyes widened. "Cassie -"

"– It's not my leg," she mumbled, staring at the ground. "I um…"

Between Dean's expression, the bed sheet and how awkward Cassie was acting, Sam pieced together the situation pretty quickly. Surprisingly, he broke out into a smile. "Oh," he said.

 _Ugh, that's what DEAN said. What is it with these damn Winchester Men?!_

"Hold on just a second," he said surprisingly calm, and then went into the room they shared. Ten seconds later he was out again with a pair of jeans on –

 _Oh Jesus_ , she thought, unable to look at him. He still wasn't wearing a shirt.

He scooped her up, bed sheet in tow and the gesture was so quick and sudden she squeaked. Her blade immediately shifted back into a watch and morphed itself onto her wrist in half the time it took for it to transform. Sam bit back a laugh and trudged down the stairs as he carried her.

 _What is it with these guys and picking me up? I'm not helpless, I'm just wounded! UGH! AND WHY DON'T THEY WEAR SHIRTS?_

Once they reached the laundry machine, Sam plopped Cassie back on her feet gently, then grabbed the sheet from her and threw it in the wash with a cup of bleach and a scoop of detergent, starting it up.

Cassie just stood there, unable to look at him, and too shy to talk.

Sam turned to her after the wash was started and was confused as to why Cassie looked so uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "About your sheets," she specified.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Cassie, this isn't something you have to apologize for. I was just worried your wound had opened back up."

She shrugged, still not looking at him.

Sam bent down to her level and looked her in the eyes. "This is not something you should be embarrassed about. Seriously. It's just your body." He kissed her forehead, then bent down to kiss her lips.

She kissed him back, feeling loads better. _Oh God, he really_ _ **is**_ _perfect…_

He pulled away to look at her, smiling warmly. "Do you need anything? Underwear, tampons, are you craving anything in particular?"

Cassie willed herself not to turn red. _A man asking openly if I need tampons…_

She could believe that he was part of the Dynamic Duo that saved the world from the Apocalypse.

Sam laughed at her expression. "I'm _really_ not daunted by this. Compared to werewolves and poltergeists, this is nothing. It's just biology. Plus this isn't my first Rodeo."

Cassie breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. In that case, I need um…pads. I can't use tampons, they hurt."

Now it was Sam's turn to blush and look away. "N-no problem," he said, clearing his throat.

 _Wait, what?_ She raised an eyebrow but he didn't elaborate.

"Let's get you to the bathroom and run a bath. Then I'll head to the store to pick up everything." He picked her up again bridal style and headed back up the stairs.

His chest was warm against her side and she snuggled into it.

She shouldn't be shy about him not wearing a shirt. They'd had sex for crying out loud. Yeah, but I don't think I'm ever going to get used to having such a sexy, hot…

But she had to stop thinking about it or she'd have to ask him to join her in the bath.

He dropped her off at the bathroom, gave her a quick kiss and then headed back to their room to finish getting dressed.

Before she closed the door she heard what sounded like a smack, and an "Ow!"

"What the hell was – "  
"Seriously? You gank monsters on a daily basis and menstrual cycles skeeve you out?"

"SAM!"

Cassie snickered, closing the door so they wouldn't hear her.

 _God they're a handful…but I can't imagine life without them_.


	38. Chapter 38: Laters

Chapter 38

Laters

Dean heard Sam come back from the store, drop off a bag in his bedroom, then head down the main hall to the Study.

He straightened up his room before slipping on jeans and a fresh shirt. He was buttoning it up when he got a call from Castiel.

The phone buzzed n his bed and Dean's heart jumped.

 _I need to stop being so ridiculously happy to hear from him,_ he thought.

He couldn't help it though. He answered on the first ring.

"Hi," Dean mumbled, already feeling color rise to his cheeks.

" _Hello Dean,"_ Cas said warmly. _"I'm sorry I missed your calls before, something's happened with the Angels. How are things on your end?"_

 _At least he's okay_. "There was a problem with Cassie. She could use some of your mojo."

" _Regrettably, I don't have any energy left for healing injuries. What happened?"_

Dean walked out of his room still on the phone and headed down the main hallway. "We found the First Blade, and we had a run-in with one of the old members. She took a shot to her leg but we patched her up. She's good now."

Cas' tone changed. _"You took her with you?!"_

"No! We left her at the Bunker, she came on her own. It turned out to be a good thing, too. Her resourcefulness is what saved us."

Cas sighed. _"She always was the one to jump into action without thinking. That was how she was killed in battle. She flew in front of Michael to shield him from an arrow and it took her instead."_

It was a difficult concept for Dean to wrap his head around. A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, Cassie was a hardcore soldier, and not some prudish, virgin girl from Maine who jammed out to ACDC and couldn't even remember her own name before she'd had coffee. "You were there?" Dean asked.

" _Yes. She and I were part of the Battalion assigned to fight a Demon Army ascending from the Fifth Ring. I was supposed to protect her, but I failed. You two are doing a better job."_

"I wouldn't say that. She _did_ get seriously injured," he countered.

" _I'm afraid to take her with me, to be honest. I failed her once. How do I know I won't again?"_

"You can't think that way. She's your baby sister, Cas. She needs you. And even if she didn't it's your job to be there for her, like I'm there for Sam."

Cas didn't say anything, but Dean could hear his smile through the phone. " _How are you, Dean?"_

Dean bit his lip, holding back a smile himself. "I'm fine, Angel. How about you?"

Cas sighed. "I miss my wings. Life on the road… _smells_."

Dean laughed. _Yeah, ain't that the truth._ He popped open a beer for himself and sat down at the table. Sam was already there, researching on the computer.

"Is that Cas?" Sam asked, not taking his eyes away from the screen.

Dean blushed. "Um, yeah. Somethin' happened with the Angels."

" _Put me on speaker,"_ Cas said, suddenly back to being his non-nonsense self.

Dean pressed the speaker button and then placed it down on the table.

" _I heard this angel siren that was calling to me. It sounded like Heaven, but it turns out Gadreel is using it to horde together Angels and then trap them in an attempt to force them to join Metatron. If they agree to join him, then Metatron will allow grant them clemency to Heaven."_

Sam stiffened at the mention of his name. "Gadreel is working for Metatron?! For how long?"

" _I don't know," Cas replied._

Dean had a sudden realization. "So does that mean that Metatron made Gadreel kill Kevin?" His core burned with bitterness.

" _If that is the case, it would explain a lot. And, there have been no new prophets, which Metatron could've fixed to his advantage."_

Cassie slowly mad her way down the hall towards the main room, catching the end of their conversation as she made her way in.

"And Gadreel said that angels are returning to Heaven? How? I thought that the spell was irreversible," Dean questioned.

"Well, that's what Crowley said. Look, let's just…" he sighed with anxiety, "Find Gadreel an-an-and beat some answers out of him." Sam was ready to clobber Gadreel until he was nothing but a pile of feathers and a halo afterwards.

Cassie looked to Sam with sadness, seeing how tense he was. And then she remembered.

 _Gadreel is the angel who possessed Sam._

She recalled a verse from the King James Bible that mentioned him. He was the Angel who was responsible for letting Lucifer into the Garden of Eden due to his negligence.

"Here's something to start with that," Cas said. "Hold on, I'm uh…sending you a photo of the symbol that drew all the angels in. "

"Kay," Sam said watching his phone. It pinged as he received the image. "Got it."

" _It's acting as some kind of Angle siren. I think it's a spell. The ingredients used to create it were very odd. Griffin feathers, bones of a fairy, I've never seen it before."_

"Yeah, me neither," Sam mumbled, looking down at the photo and briefly showing it to Dean. "Alright, let me see what I can find."

There was a moment of silence as Sam tapped away at the keys on his laptop, until he found something. "I got a match. It's not from the lore – It's from police records. Looks like that symbol you found was spotted at a handful of crime scenes over the last couple of days. _All_ multiple homicides."

Cassie slid herself into a chair at the table facing the two boys, a mug of coffee in her hands. "Where were the crime scenes?" She asked, causing them both to look up.

Sam blushed, moving the laptop so Cassie wouldn't see the grotesque images of the photographs.

"Hello, Cassandra," Cas said warmly. "I'm glad to hear that you are recovering from your wounds."

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip form her coffee. Hearing his gravelly voice gave her a pang in her heart of longing. "I miss you."

There was a pause on the line. _"I miss you too, sister."_

Sam quickly looked up the locations. "Uh…Utah. Baker, Hill Valley…"

" _And I'm in Bishop's Falls, Utah,"_ Cas replied.

"Also, it looks like most of the crime scenes were in Industrial areas," Sam added.

Cassie looked between Sam and Dean curiously.

Watching them work a case in person as opposed to hearing about it was certainly something to watch. She could practically _see_ the gears in their heads turning. All three of them were connected and working towards the common goal of acquiring information. Sam the researcher, Cas providing clues and Dean piecing together past events, finding the connections.

" _It looks like Gadreel is heading North,"_ Cas pointed out.

Dean looked down at the phone as if talking to Cas. "What's the next big town?" he asked.

"There are two. It could be Auburn or Ogden."

Dean instantaneously reached a decision. "Alright, you take Auburn, we'll take Ogden – meet in the middle. See you there."

" _Good bye Dean. Get here safe."_ The pone pinged with the sound of an ended call.

Dean felt color rise to his cheeks _. Dammit, Cas._

Sam and Cassie looked at each other, then back at Dean's red face, then back at each other again and broke out into wide smiles, simultaneously exclaiming, "Aaawwww."

"Shut up," Dean said, getting up from the table and walking off as if to push away their unspoken accusations.

Cassie broke out into fits of giggles.

"Not to _change the subject_ ," Dean pointedly glared at them both, indicating that that's exactly what he was doing, "But didn't we work a case in Ogden?"

Sam's face lit up with sudden clarity. "Yeah! I-it w-was a witch situation, right?"

"Yeah. There was that kid in town who helped us, wasn't there?"

'Yes. We should call him, see if he's still in business."

"Yeah. What was his name...?"

"Ian," Sam recalled.

Dean nodded, taking his phone and scrolling through his contacts to find the right number.

Cassie finished the last of her coffee. "Okay. When are we heading out?"

Sam looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Cassie…"

"DO NOT tell me to stay behind. We saw how that turned out last time," she pointed out, motioning to her leg.

Sam chewed his lip. "That's exactly the point. We're going to be hunting down Gadreel, it's going to be dangerous. Even _more_ dangerous than Magnus was. He was just some human who was very knowledgeable about spells, but Gadreel is – "

"What? _An Angel_?" She didn't say anything after that, shooting him a look.

 _She got me there._ Sam sighed, putting his face in his hands.

"We want information, right? Maybe I can talk to him. Maybe he remembers me!"

"That wouldn't be a good thing. He'll report to Metatron that you're alive, and you'll get more caught up in this huge mess than you already are."

Cassie took a breath, then looked back up at Sam. "My brother is in this fight. More directly than I am. I don't remember, but it used to be that he and I were alongside each other no matter what. This is my fight too. It's who I am. Remember?"

Sam gazed at her, wounded, tired, and weak but her eyes still full of raw determination and strength. "You're right about that, but you need to recover first. Dean and I take a break when we're injured until we're better and can get back out on the field."

 _But if I'm left here by myself, what happens if Sarah decides to attack me again?_ She bit her lip, looking down at the ground.

And suddenly Sam understood. He'd seen that same look on his face back when he was working with Dean on cases while his mind had been fractured from all the time he'd spent in Hell.

 _It's harder to ignore the person in your head when you're by yourself._

"You're afraid to be by yourself, right? That's what this is about? You're afraid something will happen like before?" he was careful not to mention Sarah's name.

She didn't look at him, her arms crossed over herself defensively, but she nodded.

Sam resigned. "Okay. Then you can come with us. But you know the drill, right? Do exactly what we say, when we say it – "

" – How you say it," she finished, looking up at him and smiling.

Sam smiled back. "Then pack your stuff. We're heading out as soon as we're ready."

Dean didn't question Cassandra coming. He wasn't comfortable with leaving her on her own anyway, given the circumstances.

It was pretty much a straight shot to Ogden if they took I-80, and a twelve hour drive if they didn't stop. They only took an exit for Gas and by the time they'd made it to Ogden, it was around one in the morning and Cassie was fast asleep in the back seat.

Sam and Dean were careful not to wake her as they got out of the car. Sam took their spare coats and covered her with them to keep her warm and hidden in case anyone walked by the Impala. They armed themselves with guns and flashlight, hurrying to the awning of Ian's shop to get out of the pouring rain.

"You think she'll be okay?" Sam asked, turning back to look at the Impala.

Dean nodded. "The car's warded, she'll be fine. Let's go."

Dean pick-pocketed the door of the shop while Sam kept watch, and they both made it in, flashlights on and at the ready.

Cassie was dead asleep but then heard the slightly muted sound of a phone vibrating. It jolted her awake and she felt around for where the noise had come from, half conscious. It eventually led her to climb over the front seat and shuffle around in the glove box. She picked it up as a man was leaving a message.

"Remember me? The guy who died for your sins? Nooo, not the cat with the beard and the sandals – "

" – Hello?" she asked weakly, her voice hoarse from sleeping. She cleared her throat.

There was a silence. "Wait a minute, you sound like a chick."

"Cassie groaned stretching. "I AM a chick. Who is this? Dean'll be back soon."

"The name's Gabriel. Whoever you are, just tell him that his boy toy and I are rolling our way towards their top-secret domicile."

"Castiel?" she asked. "Wait… _Gabriel?_ Like the Horn of Gabriel-Gabriel?"

He chuckled. " _Oh yeah, I'm_ _ **that**_ _one. So you've heard of me_."

Cassie smiled. "Ask my brother, he could probably tell you better than me," she said warmly.

There was a pause on the line. _"Wait a minute…Cassandra?"_ suddenly his tone had changed drastically. He wasn't joking around anymore.

She didn't answer at first. "Were you and I close? I don't remember much from before," her voice was soft and tired.

It completely disarmed the person on the other line. _"Y-yeah. The best of friends. Look, um…we gotta stop for Gas. I'll hit you up later, 'kay Princess?"_

Cassie scowled. "Don't call me that," she immediately replied.

" _Holy shit it_ _ **is**_ _you."_

Cassie grinned. "I wasn't one for that nickname back then, either?"

Gabriel sounded choked up when he said his next sentence. _"Never. You claimed the head of anyone who dared to call you that."_

The thought made her smile. _Some things don't change, I guess_. "I'll let you two go. Tell my brother I love him and to be safe."

Gabriel cleared his throat _. "I will. Laters, Babe."_ He hung up.


	39. Chapter 39: Gadreel

Chapter 39

Gadreel

It was quite some time later before Sam came back to the car.

But it was only Sam.

"Where's Dean?" Cassie asked, rubbing her eyes.

He hopped in the front and immediately started up the ignition, setting his GPS for the address of the motel Castiel was staying at. "Hey, Babe. Dean has Gadreel."

 _Wait, what?_ "What happened?"

Sam was driving quickly as he spoke. "We set a trap for him behind the building of Ian's shop. Dean's interrogating him for information on how to get the Angels back into Heaven. We're leaving to find your brother."

"Okay." She slipped feet first from the back into the front seat so she was next to him, careful not to bump her leg and buckled in. "Is he okay?"

"We don't know. He isn't answering our phone calls and his phone's GPS says he's still in the motel room where we talked to him last. Something doesn't feel right."

 _Wait a minute…_ "Dean got a call on one of his cellphones from an Angel named Gabriel. He said that he and Cas were heading for the Bunker."

Sam stiffened. "That's impossible," he said, suddenly feeling a hell of a lot worse about this. "Gabriel is dead. Lucifer killed him."

Although Cassie didn't remember Gabriel, she suddenly felt an immense, unexplainable sadness. "Then who was I talking to on the phone?"

"I don't know," Sam said, steering with one hand so he could use the other to take hold of Cassie's. "We'll check the motel room first, see if we can find any clues, then go from there."

It was a twenty minute drive. Cassie made sure she had out Suan Ywe Gou and her watch was easily accessible. Sam's gun was tucked into the waist of his pants.

When they finally made it to the motel, Sam checked for the room with Cas' car parked outside of it.

"That one," Sam pointed. It was room number 7 and it also matched up on Sam's phone where Castiel's cell was supposed to be. Together they walked up to the door.

Sam took out the lock-picking set and got to work while Cassie stood and looked around them, making sure there wasn't anyone around.

He had the lock picked in half a minute and together they both went inside.

The light was on and Castiel wasn't in the room, but the two were astonished to see the wall completely covered in newspaper clippings, maps, lists of people, faces and all other kinds of notes. It looked a lot like a Hunter's Den or an Investigator's Think Board.

On the upholstered foot rest, was Castiel's cell phone.

Sam picked it up, clicking on the screen. The phone showed six missed calls from Dean.

And then all of a sudden Cassie jumped when with lightning speed, Sam flipped around and drew his gun.

"Whoa, easy there, Tiger. I'm here to trade."

Cassie turned around to see a short, scruffy man in a light blue shirt and a dark brown Carhartt jacket. He held his hands up, a symbol of mercy.

But then his eyes immediately locked with Cassie's and his face split into a toothy grin. "I don't believe it. Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

 _Shit._ Sam looked at Cassie, then back at Metatron.

She blushed profusely. "Who are you?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember? I mean, back in the day I guess I was just an ordinary secretary until I was chosen to jot down the word of God, but still. You were always good about knowing your subjects."

Cassie pieced a few things together. "You're an Angel."

"Metatron. I'm surprised you're siding with the Winchesters. Then again, I guess I shouldn't be. You and Castiel are made of the same energy after all. You're sure to be drawn to the same sort of company."

Cassie lowered Suan Ywe Gou. "You're the one who locked the gates of Heaven."

Metatron held his hands up again. "I happen to know the way _into_ Heaven. But for now, I'm here to propose a trade. You have something of mine, and I have something of yours."

Cassie raised an eyebrow.

"Bring Gadreel tomorrow at say…sixish? If not, Castiel dies."

Cassie's eyes widened. "You have my brother," her teeth were clenched with anger. "You better not hurt him or – "

"I'm not going to hurt him. He's central to the story, I can't do that."

"What story?" Sam asked, not lowering his gun.

Metatron turned to him and made the "shhh" motion. "The grownups are talking."

"It would be an even trade, then?" She prompted. "And you'd give him back in one piece?"

Metatron sighed. "Yes, for the _second_ time, I'm not going to harm him in any shape or form. I'm an entity of my word."

"Then fine, we'll be here," she said.

Metatron nodded, and he was gone.

"Come on, Cassie," Sam grabbed her arm firmly and rushed out the door. "We have to get back to Dean. Call him and update him on what's going on."

She pressed the number 2 on her phone, immediately dialing him. She tried several times to no avail. "He's not answering," she said.

"Shit, that's not good," Sam mumbled, accelerating on the road.

They made it back to the warehouse where they were keeping Gadreel.

"You should stay here," Sam said, but she took hold of his hand.

"You think I'm gonna let you go in there by yourself?" her eyes were determined.

There was no fighting her on this. "Stay behind me," he said, and they both got out of the car.

He kept an eye out for Dean, making sure to be quiet in the darkness. Cassie followed him as he headed to the chair where they had Gadreel chained –

But the chair was empty and knocked over.

 _No_. Cassie panicked. "DEAN!" she yelled.

Sam yelled for Dean too.

And suddenly they both turned and saw him, slumped on the ground.

Sam rushed over and knelt to his side. "Dean! Hey! Are you okay?" he saw Dean's knuckles were covered in blood and when Dean opened his eyes, he looked completely wiped.

Cassie walked slower over to him, but made it to his other side, inspecting him for injuries.

But it didn't look like the blood on him was his own.

Dean looked out of it, but he replied to Sam with, "Yeah. You gotta stop asking me that."

"Cassie and I have been calling you. I mean uh, w-why didn't you –"

" – He won't talk."

It was then that Cassie saw the man laying down next to Dean, slumped over.

He looked absolutely awful, covered in bruises and blood, most likely inflicted by Dean.

Cassie was shocked that Dean could be so violent and harsh. He'd been trying to interrogate him for information…but the physical force he'd used was astronomical.

Cassie couldn't help it, she found herself bending down to see the man who must have been Gadreel.

She took his head in her hands and studied his face.

He had a strong, pronounced jaw there was a long slash across his left cheek, and his lips were cut up.

Cassie took a napkin from inside her pocket and gently dabbed at the wounds on his face.

This was the Angel who posed as Ezekiel so he could possess Sam?

From what she'd heard, Gadreel had done awful things. He'd deceived Sam and Dean, and killed Kevin who was barely a full grown man, and a sweet kid.

But she knew why.

Metatron was a psycho control freak playing God. The reason Gadreel followed him was he wanted access back into Heaven, like every other Angel. He just wanted a way home.

She understood.

Cassie couldn't hate him. He'd also been partially responsible for healing Sam, even though he'd done a lot of terrible things, so she had to thank him.

Sam saw how beat up Gadreel was, and didn't even feel a pang of possessiveness or jealousy when Cassie held up his head. "I figured."

Dean looked up at Sam. "He wanted to die, and I was going to kill him. I was." He looked down. "But then I stopped, because I know we need him to talk."

"Dean, listen," Sam said, trying to snap Dean out of the daze he was in. "Metatron has Cas."

Dean felt a jolt _. No… not Cas why Cas? How?_ He'd just talked to him today, called him his Angel, he'd told Dean to get to Utah safe and sound… _they'd_ _ **just**_ _talked._

And now, more than ever, Dean wanted to kill Metatron.

"He's offering up a trade," Sam continued.

Bile rose to Dean's mouth. "We can't trust Metatron," Dean said, but inside he was screaming.

He was emotionally involved, so he couldn't think straight.

"I-I-Know that, obviously," Sam stated, "But look. This is the first time we're gonna know, for _sure,_ where Metatron is. Let's take Gadreel to the meet-up, make the exchange, and then trap Metatron."

Dean looked at Gadreel, then Cassie, then back at Sam, and nodded.

"Let's stay the night in my brother's motel room," Cassie suggested. "We can get Gadreel cleaned up and then we'll be there for the trade."

Sam nodded. "Good idea. Come on, Dean, let's head out."

* * *

They had him chained and in the backseat with Cassie. Dean drove quickly on the route to the motel.

The bumps in the road and the motion awoke Gadreel, and he tensed as he took in his surroundings. He groaned against his restraints with frustration, then laid back against the seat.

Cassie shyly looked out the car window on her side, hugging her legs to her chest.

Gadreel looked over at her and his eyes widened with recognition. "I know you," he said.

At the sound of his deep voice she jumped. She turned to look at him, but didn't say anything.

His eyes were a gray-green, like moss. "I saw you once, when you were very small."

Cassie flushed with awkwardness. "I don't have any of my memories from before," she admitted. "I don't remember being an Angel."

"Cassie," Sam warned. _Don't be giving out information about yourself, it'll only put you in danger._

"I've read about you," Cassie continued, despite Sam's warning. "You were tasked with guarding the Garden of Eden."

"Yes," Gadreel said, the subject clearly paining him. "That's when I saw you. As God was assigning me the duty outside of Eden's gates, you were trailing behind him. Back then you were only a small, twinkling light."

Cassie bit her lip and shook her head. "I wouldn't know, I don't remember."

It never bothered her before that she had no recollection of her life as an Angel…

But then when she runs into other Angels such as her brother, Gabriel, Metatron, and now Gadreel, she felt this pang of longing and loneliness due to not remembering, like she was missing a piece of herself.

"Where are you taking me?" Gadreel asked her.

Her voice was timid and quiet when speaking to him. "Metatron has my brother. He wants a trade, Castiel for you, tomorrow at around six o'clock. We're heading for a place to rest for the night before then. Once we get there, I'll patch you up," she offered.

"We're here," Dean parked in front of the motel. "And you don't have to patch up shit, Cassie. That bastard isn't worth your time."

* * *

There had been one flaw in Cassie's plan.

There was only one bed.

"Well, Gadreel doesn't need one, because he's a bastard and Angels don't sleep, so that's one less thing to worry about," Dean said.

Sam sighed. I'll take the fl – "

"I slept on the way here, I'm fine. Sam, you and Dean can have the bed."

Dean shook his head. "Sammy can have the bed, I'll sleep in the car. That way, in case you get tired, you can have the bed with Sam."

Cassie blushed and hugged him. "Thank you," she said.

He blushed in turn and shrugged. "Not a problem. I'm gonna get a shower in before I hit the hay." He got into the bathroom and closed the door.

Sam laid down in bed, and was out in minutes.

Cassie opened up the first aid kit that she'd grabbed from the car and took out a cloth and a small bottle of peroxide.

Gadreel glared at her. "You could just heal my wounds instantaneously if you really cared so much," he said bitterly.

She blushed. "I-I-can't. I don't know how," she admitted. Then she bent down to where he was sitting on the floor and propped herself in front of him, sitting up on her knees. She looked at him, asking if it was okay.

Gadreel shrugged and glanced away. "I don't have a preference, either way."

She sighed and got to cleaning his wounds anyway.

Carefully she dabbed the damp cloth over the cut on his face.

He didn't flinch or make any exclamations of pain as she cleaned them and then gently applied cream to help the cuts seal and prevent them from getting infected.

"This is all pointless, you know," he said, even though he was secretly enjoying being attended to with such care and tenderness. "Tomorrow, Metatron will just zap my wounds away."

Cassie shrugged, continuing her work regardless. "I'm sorry for what Dean did. He just wants to help Castiel. It wasn't personal."

He turned to look at her for the first time in several minutes. "Oh, it was _very_ personal. You don't know what I did to his brother or their precious prophet boy, Kevin."

"I do," she countered, her gaze firm. "But doesn't it say in the Bible to love your enemies, even if it's hard?"

Gadreel froze, unsure how to respond at first. "You are not like the Angels I've met. You are quick to forgive."

Cassie shrugged. "It's not hard when you know where a person's coming from." She packed away all of the medical supplies, clasping the First Aid kit shut. "Why are you working with Metatron, for example?"

Gadreel shifted so he was sitting cross-legged. "To redeem myself and my mistakes, so that when I get back into Heaven, I am promised a spot next to Metatron, and as a free Angel, not a prisoner."

"So you want redemption and freedom," she said, looking down. "That doesn't sound so awful. I know that for the Angels, Heaven is their home. And they want to go back. Your intentions are good."

He nodded. "Yes. Metatron wants to be the new God, and if that means I can walk past Heaven's gates and roam free outside the walls of a cell, then I don't care what it takes to get there."

Cassie looked to him with frustration. "But that's what my brother wants! He's been fighting so hard, all this time to find a way for all of the Angels to go home. He doesn't want to be God or in control, he's just trying to help. Who is Metatron to dictate who and who doesn't get to go to Heaven?"

Gadreel looked to her with equal frustration. "Why do you care so much, anyway?" he asked. "You are like a caged canary, fighting for the right of the Sparrows to fly."

She took a deep breath to soften the blow of his analogy. _That hurt a lot more than it should've,_ she thought. "Before I met Sam and Dean, I didn't have a home. I walked aimlessly, with no purpose except to make it through the day, alone and afraid. I don't want any creature to know the pain of being lost and lonely, like I have."

Gadreel was taken aback. "So you side with them because you are indebted to them."

She sighed. "Don't you get it? That's not what this is about. It's _love._ I love Sam and Dean, I love my brother, and I love the Angels because there was a time I called each and every one of them brother and sister. Shouldn't all the Angels be on the same side?"

Her words silenced any witty remarks or comebacks that Gadreel had stored. He spoke in a dismal tone. "You speak of the ideal circumstances, where everyone loves one another as brother and sister. What you describe is a Utopia, which does not exist."

She bit her lip, looking at him in silence for a few moments. Then she placed her hands over Gadreel's shackles. " _Sic liberare constringantur vincula vestra,"_ she chanted and the angel-proof shackles broke.

Gadreel stared at her, his eyes wide.

She smiled. "It could," she said.

"I don't understand…why are you letting me go?" he asked.

She took one of his hands into both of hers gently, looking up at him with such an earnest expression it disarmed him. "We should be on the same side."

All Gadreel could do was stare for a moment. Her wide, blue eyes held him fixed in place, and in a way they held him in that motel room more firmly than the shackles ever did.

"For thousands of years you were a prisoner. I know your greatest fear isn't dying, but being locked away." She took the shackles away so they were no longer on his skin. "I have to thank you for a few things. One, if you hadn't accidentally let Lucifer into the Garden of Eden, I'm sure the world would be quite different. And I'm also sure that it would've been a world where I never would've had the chance to love Sam."

Gadreel, surprisingly, felt an emotion welling up inside him that he couldn't put a name to.

Never, had he ever been _thanked_ for the grave mistake he made in letting the Corruption of man happen.

And here this Angel woman with no powers to speak of, was more Angelic and pure than any Angel he'd ever met.

So ready to love, and forgive, and redeem.

"And second, even though you lied about your intentions, you are partially responsible for healing Sam, so how can I not love you too?" her voice was soft, like she was afraid of what his reaction would be.

And suddenly, in her eyes and in her gentleness, he was given a glimpse into the pieces of Heaven he'd been robbed of.

He needed to repay her for such unconditional kindness. "I heard Sam's plan to trap Metatron, but it's not going to work. He is too powerful, and holy fire will not work on him. But I will make sure that you get your brother back."

And then Gadreel was gone.

At that moment Dean stepped out of the bathroom, showered and dressed, but gaped in shock at the empty shackles on the ground.

"What happened? Are you okay?" he rushed over to her.

"I'm fine," she assured him.

"How did Gadreel escape?"

Suddenly he was back in the room with them, holding the arm of Castiel.

"I didn't. She let me go."

Dean didn't have time to process being mad or shocked at Cassie's actions.

Castiel was alive in front of him, unharmed, and in one piece.

He couldn't help himself. He threw himself at Cas and clung to him in a tight embrace, tears immediately filling his eyes. _Thank God._

Cas hugged Dean back.

Gadreel walked over to Cassie and bent down on one knee in front of her. "I am not the only one who is wounded," he said, looking at her left thigh.

Cassie raised an eyebrow. _How…?_

Gadreel's eyes darted up to meet hers, then back at her thigh. Gently, he placed a warm hand across where she'd been shot. She blushed profusely at the contact, but then stared in wonder once she realized the throbbing pain was gone.

Gadreel stood back up, his eyes full of emotion. "Thank you for your kindness. It will not be forgotten. I hope this makes us even."

And with the fluttering of wings, he was gone.


	40. Chapter 40: Heat

Chapter 40

Heat

As Castiel was being hugged by Dean, he looked over Dean's shoulder at his sister.

The expression on her face was one of relief. "We were starting to get worried."

Cas raised an eyebrow. "There was no need to be, apparently."

Cassie blushed, knowing he meant _her_ , then asked, "Is it okay if we stay the night here before heading out in the morning?"

Cas smiled, regarding his sister warmly. "Of course."

Cassie's eyes darted to the door. "Dean's gonna be out in the car."

Cas nodded, taking the hint.

After Dean finally let go, the two men both opened the door, walked out and closed it behind them.

Shortly afterwards, Cassie stripped down to her tank top and underwear, then crawled into bed to snuggle up against Sam. She reached up over his head to pull the chain on the lamp, then wrapped herself around his torso, quickly falling asleep.

* * *

Dean didn't make it to the car. The second the door was closed behind them, Dean pressed Cas against the door of the room and was kissing him frantically, running his hands over Cas' chest.

Castiel didn't expect to be ambushed with such affection, but found that he was responding to Dean's touch.

Dean's coarse stubble against Cas' neck as Dean kissed him sent shivers down his spine. The scent of him filled Cas' nostrils, the pine-smelling motel soap Dean had used to shower mixed together with his natural musk, making Cas dizzy.

He never expected to enjoy sensations like the vibration of a person's throat as you kissed it, the taste of their mouth, or the heat and sweat that accompanied the contact of skin on skin.

Cas never used to crave such intimacy.

But he did with Dean, and _only_ Dean.

Being intimate with April hadn't even been this all-consuming.

He felt Dean's growing erection through his jeans against his stomach, and realized they needed to get to the car before they made even more of an indecent display than they already were.

"Dean," Cas moaned. "Car." Full sentences of words any more than one syllable were too much effort.

Dean eventually pulled away from kissing Cas' collarbone to look up at him. "I'm so glad you're here," he mumbled, out of breath, his cheeks flushed. He laid his forehead against Castiel's, holding him close. "I damn near had a heart attack when Sam told me Metatron had you."

Cas nuzzled Dean, a gesture of reassurance. "My sister had a hand in this, I'm assuming. Her specialty is changing the hearts of others."

Dean laughed softly. "I've noticed. She changed mine."

Cas smiled, feeling the warm rush of pride and affection that always accompanied the thought of Cassandra.

But now he had a very needy, very deprived Dean to attend to.

Cas bit down on Dean's bottom lip, causing him to groan primally in response. "Car," he insisted, and pulled away from Dean, opening the car door to step inside.

Dean was quick to follow. He slipped off his shoes and socks, stuffing them under the seat and punching his coat into the form of something that resembled a pillow, placing it down on the seat cushion of the Impala and laying down on his back.

In the spacious room of the backseat, there were millions of possibilities for the two lovers.

Dean bit his lip nervously, looking up into Cas' sky blue eyes.

Cas smiled down at him, slipping his trench coat off.

But he did it very slowly, taking care to slip off one sleeve at a time and then shimmying his shoulders out of it.

Then, just as slowly, he slipped off the dress jacket he wore underneath, and then with one hand started to undo his tie, not once breaking eye contact with Dean.

Dean let out a shaky breath when he realized that Castiel was giving him a strip tease show.

 _Sweet baby Jesus, where did my Angel learn how to do that?_ He thought.

Never in a million years did Dean think he would get turned on by watching a guy strip.

But ogling Cas take off articles of clothing at a snail's pace piece by piece was making his jeans very very tight and very _very_ uncomfortable.

It got to the point where Cas was in nothing but his dress shirt and boxers, partially unbuttoned at the top.

But Dean's willpower wasn't _that_ high, and Cas didn't get to finish before Dean pulled him down on top of his chest and started going to town on his lips, biting and sucking and making out with him like he was a teenager in high school.

Every time Cas brushed against him Dean moaned and bucked his hips out of reflex, starting to breathe hard. "Uggghh Cas," he growled, pressing Cas against him, frustrated at the fact he was still in clothes but too caught up in paying homage to Cas' bare shoulder to do anything about it.

Cas noticed Dean's arousal and decided to remedy it.

He shuddered as he pulled away from Dean, the suction of Dean's mouth leaving a red imprint on his shoulder. Then he sat back so he was straddling Dean, and took it upon himself to unclasp the button on his Jeans.

Dean pressed his lips together so he wouldn't gasp. "C-Cas?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Castiel's cheeks were flushed with color, but he looked into Dean's eyes and said in a soft, coaxing voice, "I want to try something."

After he pulled the zipper down, Cas pulled down Dean's jeans to his ankles, and then stopped.

He looked back at Dean to make sure what he was doing was okay.

Dean nodded, not entirely sure what Cas had planned.

Then he pulled down Dean's boxers and very gently took hold of Dean's throbbing erection from the base.

Dean moaned at the contact, starting to move his hips but Cas used his other hand to hold Dean in place.

He tried to squirm and grunted with frustration when Cas wouldn't let him.

It all became clear to Dean when Cas bent his head down to plant a kiss on the very tip of Dean's erection.

"Aaah!" Dean exclaimed, clawing into the sides of the impala's interior. "Mmnnnn!"

It was pure and utter torture, feeling Castiel's tongue dart in and out over the top of Dean's cock, sucking hard for several seconds and then going back to teasing it.

" _Fuck,_ C-Cas," Dean tried to buck his hips but Cas wouldn't let him.

Finally, after several minutes of this awful teasing, Cas took Dean completely into his mouth and slid down to the base.

"Oohh!" Dean closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, the pleasure was so intense.

And then slowly but surely, Cas started to move, making sure to sheath his teeth. He moved his hands to Dean's hips, pressing down for support as he started to pick up the pace.

He had to work harder to keep Dean still because every time Cas' tongue flicked against the tip of Dean's cock a jolt went through his entire body, causing him to shake beyond his control.

What Cas was doing felt completely and utterly mind blowing. Dean never once in his life asked a girl to do this for him. Occasionally, one would offer to do it but it didn't happen often and when it did it had _never_ been this intense.

Cas suddenly, for some inexplicable reason started to slow his pace and suck harder as he bobbed his head up and down.

Dean was practically growling at this point. "Fuck C-Cas please," he begged, reaching his hands up to claw into Cas' hair, trying in vain to push his head down to go faster . "Cas I can't – AAAH!" He couldn't finish his sentences, but he was reaching his limit.

He couldn't take it anymore.

He needed to come _. Now._

Cas didn't pick up his pace again until Dean was literally leaving claw marks in the leather seats.

Then finally he was moving faster, lifting Dean's hips up as he thrust down each time.

 _Jesus Christ!_ "Ohhh Ohhh Aahhh," Cas had gotten him to the point he couldn't form words anymore.

His climax was building up faster and faster and he was almost afraid of when it would finally hit because it was going to crash over him _hard._

Cas felt Dean swelling up inside his mouth and when he felt Dean's hips start to tense he gently bit down on the head of Dean's throbbing erection.

"AAHH!" Dean exclaimed, his voice breaking as he finally released all the tension and stress and fear he'd been feeling in his overwhelming orgasm.

Cas gently sucked on Dean's erection as he was climaxing, surprised when he found that after a human comes, they excrete a substance that isn't quite liquid or quite solid.

The taste wasn't something he enjoyed, but when he looked up to see Dean's expression, his teeth gritted, eyes clenched shut and his head thrown back in pure pleasure, it made it worth it.

Cas kept sucking until Dean didn't have anything left. Dean's hand shook as he placed it on top of his shoulder and said, "S-s-s-stop."

He finally pulled away and then gently helped Dean pull his boxers back up and slip his jeans off of his ankles.

He glanced down to look at his Hunter, overcome with the effects of his afterglow.

Dean's cheeks were bright red and his lip was swollen from biting it. His eyes were glistening yet glazed over, the picture of relaxed, and every limb in Dean's body was limp.

Cas smiled. "So I…was that correct?"

Dean was still trying to catch his breath. He looked up at Cas and they were widened with shock and awe.

The expression was clear. _How the hell did you know how to do that?_

Castiel smiled, taking Dean's hand and holding it between his own, giving the tips of each finger a gentle kiss as he spoke. "When Metatron kidnapped me, he zapped me with knowledge so now I know every book, movie, or otherwise he's consumed in the last millennia. There was a lot of porn included in this collection of knowledge."

Dean grinned and to Cas' astonishment, giggled. "Thank God," he said, and he kept giggling.

"I also know that you're laughing because your body is rushing with endorphins due to - "

"–Cas, just shut up and come over here."

Cas bit his lip, but then Dean pulled him so he went from a straddling position to laying on top of Dean's chest.

He wrapped an arm around Cas' waist underneath his long white dress shirt, so he could feel his warm skin, using the hand on his other arm to cup Cas' face.

"I wanna return the favor, Angel," he whispered against Cas' ear, and the rest of the night they exchanged pleasure between them. In the small orb that surrounded the Impala, the Hunter and his Angel were in their own world, where Abaddon, the Mark, Metatron and everything else didn't exist. They finally fell asleep as the sun was starting to rise, Dean cradling Castiel in his arms.

The next morning, Sam and Cassie had gotten everything packed and loaded into the Impala's trunk.

Cas saw them walking towards the car and he panicked when he realized he didn't have the strength to fly away before they got back. His grace was running on empty. Dean had a firm grip on him. "Dammit," Cas said under his breath. He grabbed his trench coat off of the floor and tried to use it to hide. "Dean," he whispered, trying to tousle him awake.

But Dean just grumbled and clung to Cas tighter, falling back asleep.

When Sam started up the car and Cassie hopped into the passenger seat, they starting driving and Dean didn't even stir.

 _Maybe they don't know I'm here_ , Cas thought to himself, his eyes darting between the backs of Cassie and Sam's heads.

But after four hours of driving, Dean finally squinted his eyes open when sunlight was streaming over his face.

It took about two minutes for him to process he was sleeping in the backseat…

But the car was moving.

 _SHIT WHAT?!_ He bolted upright, then blushed when he saw that Sam and Cassie were in the front seat…

And Castiel was laying beside him, with no shirt, only boxers and socks. He was partially concealed with his trench coat, but he was obviously in pajamas.

"G'mornin'," Dean said, his voice hoarse.

"Hey guys," Sam said cheerfully.

Cassie waved at them without turning her head. "Hello!"

Dean regarded his brother and his girlfriend with shock. _Did I just walk into an episode of the twilight zone?_

They were acting like driving in the car while Dean was in his boxers, next to his unofficial-not-female-angel-secret-lover was perfectly normal.

Castiel picked up on how stressed Dean had suddenly become, like he was afraid. "Do you want me to go?" he asked him.

But Dean saw the pained expression on his face, like he was hoping the answer would be no.

"Cas can stay," Sam said, as if it were a given. "In another hour we're gonna stop at a Diner to grab some grub. Wanna come with, Cas?"

Castiel looked to Dean, asking permission with his eyes.

 _You know what? Fuck it. There's nothing wrong with what I feel._ "He'd love to come," Dean smiled at him as he said it, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. Color rose to his face and he was shy about it, but the message was clear to Cas.

 _You're mine and I'm proud of it._

Cassie saw in the rear view mirror and blushed, smiling. Her eyes glanced at Sam's and at the same moment Sam's gaze met hers, and they exchnaged their own eye-conversation.

They were both thinking he same thing. _It's about damn time!_


	41. Chapter 41: Debate

Chapter 41

Debate

It was odd for Dean to be in the backseat of his car, as opposed to driving it. But the ride was calm as he got another hour of sleep in, passed out over Castiel's lap.

Cas however, was awake, draping an arm over Dean and covering him up with his trench coat. "I miss enjoying food. It tastes disgusting now," he said as they took the exit for Dave's Diner.

Sam laughed. "I'm sorry about that."

Cassie turned around so she was leaning over the front seat, talking to her brother. "What do you mean?"

He continued with, "Angels don't perceive taste the same way humans do. We can taste all of the individual molecules that make up what we're eating. It's quite unsettling."

Cassie giggled. "There's some perks to being human, apparently."

Cas looked her dead in the eyes and said, "Yes. If you being human means being alive, well, and happy, even if you don't remember your past, then it's better than not having you at all."

Cassie bit her lip, shocked by his statement.

Castiel's face was suddenly overcome with a guilt-ridden expression. "It's my fault you were killed in battle. I should've protected you. I…I never had the opportunity to apologize for failing you."

Cassie shook her head. "You didn't. I acted impulsively. You couldn't have known what course of action I was going to take. What matters now is I'm alive, and we're together again. We're going to be there for each other. But…" she looked off to the side. "It's not just the two of us anymore." She turned her head to smile at Sam, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Sam didn't take his eyes off the road but he smiled back.

And then Cassie glanced down at Dean, looking completely comfortable and at peace as his chest rose and fell. His right arm was draped over Cas, and the Mark didn't seem as red and apparent as it usually was. It was as if Dean's calm state of mind weakened it.

Cas nodded, running his fingers through Dean's messily tousled hair. As his eyes met with Cassie's, he said, "That just means the stakes are higher."

* * *

Cassie went ahead into the diner to grab a table for them. Cas got dressed first in the backseat, then headed in to follow his sister.

Sam was about to open the car door but Dean clasped a hand onto his shoulder, the sign to stay behind for a second.

Sam complied.

As Dean was clumsily sliding on his jeans, he cleared his throat and mumbled, "So, um…whatdoyuothink?"

Sam looked straight ahead, giving Dean what little privacy he could in a car. "Of Cas?"

Dean nodded, knowing Sam could see him in the rearview mirror.

Sam didn't respond at first, but then finally said, "It makes sense."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Sam laughed. "Oh come on, not like _that._ I mean don't you think it's funny? _I_ fell for an Angel _, you_ fell for an Angel – "

"Whoa whoa hold it, don't bring the L-word into this, I don't even know how I feel about everything," Dean held a hand up, but his face was red.

"Yeah, okay," Sam said, biting back a snicker.

"Seriously," Dean insisted as he slipped his socks back on.

Sam sighed. "I don't _have_ to bring up the L-word. I don't know how you feel about him, and neither does Cassie, and maybe _Cas_ doesn't even know. The only person who does is _you."_

Dean slipped his gun into the waistband of his pants, not responding.

"None of us have to know the details, but I think you should at least tell Cas," Sam said.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Oh look at this, little Sammy giving out relationship-advice."

Sam scoffed. "Bitch, I'm taller than you."

"Fuck you," Dean responded but he was grinning.

"The irony of it is he _fell_ for you too." There was a pause. "Get it?"

 _Oh God, you've gotta be kidding me._ "Stop."

Sam continued. "Isn't it funny that us-brothers have the same taste in romantic partners? And _those_ beings _also_ happen to be siblings – "

" –You're gonna stop talking. Like, right now," Dean cut him off.

Sam was laughing as Dean threw on a shirt. "Who would've thought? _Us,_ domestics?"

 _He better shut his trap._ "Okay, that's it! After we're done eating, we're gonna go back to ganking shit. Domestic my ass," he muttered under his breath.

Sam got out of the car once Dean had his shoes strapped on, and together the two brothers had an unspoken contest in which one tried to jostle the other more as they walked into the Diner to meet up with their counterparts.

* * *

Cassie waved over Sam and Dean once she saw them walk in. They were both grinning from ear to ear. She couldn't help smiling herself. After all the drama that had ensued over the past two weeks, they'd found a happy medium with each other.

Sam slid into the booth so he was facing Castiel and Dean was facing Cassie.

"I got three coffees and a water," she informed them. "The waitress is probably gonna be back soon, so figure out what you want before she gets back."

Dean smirked. _She's come a long way from being the shy girl who couldn't even meet eyes with our server,_ he thought. "You didn't ask for a beer?"

She scowled at him. "Too early in the morning for something like that. _Coffee_ will work just fine."

"Yes, _MOM_ ," Dean countered, rolling his eyes. _I'm a grown ass man and if I want a beer it doesn't matter what time of the day it is -_

But he took the coffee without any further complaint and sipped from it silently.

Sam got a veggie filled egg whites omelet with hash browns, Dean ordered the breakfast special that came with sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs and a ham steak, and Cassie requested her typical strawberry pancakes.

Castiel was content to sip from a glass of water, flinching every so often from being able to taste the H2O molecules.

While they were waiting for their food to get there, it was discussion time.

"So…what did you learn from being with Metatron?" Sam asked.

Castiel shook his head and replied, "He wouldn't reveal whether or not he had a way back into Heaven. But he told me his plan. He wants me to lead the Cavalry against him in his efforts to be the new God. But I think Gadreel might be the key to finding the crack in his armor."

Sam stiffened again at hearing Gadreel's name. "I'm glad Cas is back with us, don't get me wrong…but we lost an opportunity to trap Metatron."

Cassie shook her head. "No, Gadreel said trapping him wouldn't work. Holy fire is ineffective."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Why would he tell you that? That's _helping_ us," he asked.

"How did you even get back here? I didn't know you were here until Cassie told me," Sam interjected, looking at Castiel.

Cas smiled warmly, his eyes shifting to his sister. "Ask her."

Cassie blushed. "I was just talking to him. Basically, I was saying that all Angels want the same thing, so why aren't we all on the same side?"

"You did more than that, Cassandra," Castiel said, turning to her. "You showed him compassion and kindness, something he was unfamiliar with before."

She shrugged. "I just treated him the way I'd treat anyone."

Cas grinned, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Exactly."

She blushed, looking down. "He's not bad, I think he's just misunderstood. All he wants is redemption. He wants to go home."

Sam felt a pang in his chest _. She can't help but see the good in people._

She looked up at him. "I know you don't like to think about it…but can I ask about when you were possessed by him?" she asked softly.

Sam's expression was tense, but he nodded.

"What did it feel like?"

He pondered for a minute, trying to figure out how to describe it. "He didn't possess me completely. It was more like…we uh, shared housing. I was still me. I didn't feel a presence, per say, I just felt like I wasn't completely alone."

"Did you ever feel threatened?" Cassie swallowed nervously, unwillingly being reminded of how it felt whenever Sarah decided to play with Cassie's body by twisting it around from the inside.

Sam shook his head. "No. He didn't feel dangerous…more like…he was anxious. Nervous. Misunderstood, like you said. But I was wrong. He killed Kevin, so he is a threat."

Cassie shook her head. "I don't think so. He's been manipulated by Metatron, but Castiel made that same mistake once himself: to trust in him. Maybe we can get Gadreel to see that there's another way."

All three men met eyes, then looked at Cassie.

"I don't know if it's that simple, Sweetheart," Dean said.

They stopped talking for a second and let the waitress bring them their food.

Dean dug right in, not surfacing again until he was done, but everyone else was waiting for a response.

Cassie paused, biting her lip. "I think it could be. I talked to him for fifteen minutes. Afterwards he healed my leg wound and brought back my brother, unscathed and in one piece. Imagine what we could get him to do after hours of discussion."

Sam looked hesitant, but not totally against the idea.

"He has good intentions," Cassie insisted. "He just wants understanding and forgiveness. I think we should talk to him."

Castiel took a sip from his water and then spoke, his eyes filled with emotion. "That is why you were our Commander. You have such an immense depth of understanding, even towards the people who don't deserve it. You were always able to see the potential in others."

There was a pause before Cas looked up and said," Metatron is right about one thing. Someone needs to stand against him, lead the Rebel Angels who oppose him." He looked up at his sister, her eyes so full of love and strength. "This angel-on-angel violence needs to come to an end."

Sam froze, realizing what Cas was going to say next.

"I think it should be you, Cassandra."

 _Wait, what?!_ "No," she immediately said.

Dean shook his head. "What happened to keeping her safe and hidden? The last thing she needs is to get thrown into an Angel War!"

"She's already in it," Sam said, mentally kicking himself for not making her stay in the car that night. "Metatron knows she's alive and on our side. She's already in danger. So instead of letting her become a target, we can turn her into a threat.

Cassie's expression shifted to one of shock and stress. "I can't lead an army of rogue Angels into _battle_! What reason would they have to follow me in the first place?! I'm the Angel equivalent of a paraplegic!"

"No you're not," Cas said, taking her hand in his. "You are Cassandra, Pure of Heart. Commander in Chief of Michael's army, and the most ruthless Warrior in our Garrison. If the Angels knew that you were alive and well, they would join you in a heartbeat. Your return would be the biggest Event in all of our history."

Cassie shook her head. "That's not who I am anymore – "

" – But you could be," he said. "I know for a fact there is not one Angel who wouldn't follow you into the very flames of Hell, including me."

Cassie's mouth hung open in disbelief.

Sam swallowed, his jaw tense. He said, "If she were the leader, she herself wouldn't be engaging in any combat, right? She would just be in charge and directing people."

Cas said, "Of course not. Hopefully it won't resort to more violence and open-warfare. The goal would be to reach a diplomatic solution for getting rid of Metatron."

"That's a lot of weight to put on her shoulders, don't you think? We were supposed to protect her, not get her thrown in this mess." Dean buried his head in his hands.

Cassie turned to Dean. "If I don't have to physically fight anyone…I'd do it. Especially if it meant I'd be able to negotiate with Gadreel. Maybe he can tell us something."

"We already tried that," Dean pointed out. "He refused to tell us anything."

"Brute force and interrogation isn't the way to get through to him," Cassie countered. "We need to _talk_."

"If Cassie is getting mixed up in the politics of Angels, then I'll be damned if she's gonna do it alone," Dean said, his hand automatically going to the holster of his gun.

Sam nodded in agreement. "We're all in this, not just her."

Cas shook his head, lightly laying a hand over Dean's on the table. "No." He looked between Sam and Dean. "Your mission is to take care of Abaddon. The sooner that happens, the sooner we can do away with the mark. I'll be the one to guide Cassandra through this."

Sam opened his mouth to protest but Cassie said, "I could do if if my brother were there alongside me. If it really is just a bunch of discussion and negotiation, then I want to help."

Dean clenched his jaw, like he was trying not to groan with frustration. "Why would it matter to you anyway? Why are you willing to die for completely strangers who might want you dead? And why get involved at all when it has nothing to do with you?" Dean asked, glaring.

Cassie looked at Sam, and he smiled, knowing what her answer would be.

"Why are _you?"_

Dean froze, not sure how to respond.

"Why are _any_ of us willing to fight for what's right?"

Her hand went to the glistening pendant on her neck, the pressure of it against her chest as reassuring as the the weight of her watch on her wrist. And at that moment she realized she'd never be able to choose between living the life of a hunter and fighting in the War of the Angels.

Because they were both a part of her.

"Why are we all willing to die for the people we love?"

Her words were soft but firm, and every person at that table was silent, holding their breath, waiting for her response.

She looked down at her necklace, then back up at them. "Because it's who we are."


	42. Chapter 42: Plans

Chapter 42

Plans

After Dean got the bill, they all walked out, feeling more unsettled than ever.

Sam slipped into the passenger seat and Cassie got into the back.

Cas put a hand on Dean's shoulder urging him to turn around.

"What is it?" he asked, his soft blue eyes holding Dean frozen where he stood.

He sighed, clenching his jaw. "I don't like this at all. Cassie going around thinking she has to save the Angels – "

" – This isn't about her, is it? You're talking about me."

Dean didn't reply, but looked down, the tops of his cheeks red.

Cas' hand slid from the top of Dean's shoulder down to grasp his hand. "I have to do this. You know I do, just like you have to kill Abaddon. You're the only one who can."

"I do know that," Dean mumbled. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

Cas smiled. "I'm going to do what Metatron wants. I'll send out an Angel siren for those who want to follow me, and we will work together to end this once and for all. These are my people, Dean. It's my responsibility."

Dean pulled Cas into a tight hug, burrowing into the warmth of his neck. "Take care, okay? Let us know what's going on, text me every day so I know you're– "

Cas silenced him with a soft kiss. "I love you too," he grinned, and turned around, starting to walk in the opposite direction.

Dean blushed profusely, watching him go. After Cas was nothing more than a moving dot, he started heading back to the car.

* * *

Cassie was quiet for a minute, but then she couldn't help herself. "You're surprisingly calm about all of this," she said quietly, "the idea of me being in charge of an Angel Army."

Sam didn't respond right away. "Dean said... that I was too protective of you. You're your own person, and you've proven yourself capable in the field. I thought…maybe I should try to be okay with this. I don't want you to feel suffocated."

Cassie sighed. "God dammit, Dean," she muttered.

"But I'm worried. Scared, to be honest. You're just coming into your powers, and Cas is running on empty with his. You're both at half-mast and the last thing I want is for my girlfriend to be thrown into the middle of a war. But…you already _were_ the second you walked into the door of our Bunker. Dean likes to think there was something we could've done for you, a place we could've put you where you were safe. But you're an Angel, Cassie. This was going to happen sooner or later."

Cassie hugged Sam's neck from behind, burrowing her nose into his hair. "Thank you for letting me try," she whispered. "But to be honest, I'm scared too. It's not like before, when it was just the two of us, fighting side by side. We have you and Dean, now. There's more at stake than just our lives."

Sam turned to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. "I have faith in you. You're wicked smart, a fast learner, and one of the most caring people I know. Your heart alone could be the difference between winning and losing this war."

She kissed his cheek. "I'm only going to be doing what I can. I'll try to talk to Gadreel, and see where we go from there. My brother should be the one in charge, I'll just follow suit."

Sam nodded. "Okay. You have my support no matter what."

They both stopped talking when they saw Dean nearing the car, with swollen lips and bright red cheeks.

Despite everything that had gone on, Sam was smiling and Cassandra was too.

Dean raised an eyebrow when he saw their looks as he opened the door and plopped down on the front seat. "What?"

Neither of them said anything, but they were grinning like idiots.

"Nothin," Sam said.

"Shut up," Dean said as he was starting the car.

"I didn't say –" Sam began, but Dean cut him off.

"You are both _thinking,_ so shush. Let me drive." He clicked in a mixtape made from an ACDC album.

Cassie giggled, but started to hum along once she recognized the tune as she got caught up in her own thoughts.

What had solidified her decision to get involved was the one undeniable fact that she was planted into a vessel twenty two years ago, instead of right after she'd been killed.

She'd discovered that God had planned this from the beginning, from instructing the Brontes' to forge a weapon for her and keep her incubated until 1992, and now she had an inkling as to why.

She hadn't had time to grow corrupt and power-hungry like Metatron. She wasn't aware of the new politics going on, so she wouldn't have been tainted by it.

Her pure intentions and unconditional kindness was still intact, even as a human. She was the picture of what Angels had been, and were supposed to be: defenders of humanity and compassionate.

That alone could turn the tide against Metatron.

* * *

After a few hours of silence, Cassie spoke up.

"What's today?" she asked.

Dean thought for a minute. "Saturday. Why?"

"Isn't Christmas in a week?"

"Technically four days," Sam said.

Her eyes darted between the two of them. "Do you guys celebrate?"

Sam shrugged. "Not really. To be honest, holidays were never really a happy experience for us. Even as kids, it was pretty rough."

Cassie bit her lip. "Well…I know that there's a bunch of crazy shit going on, what with the whole Abaddon thing and this Angel Civil War…but…would you guys maybe…wanna do something for it this year?"

Dean glanced at her expression in the rearview mirror. She was red in the face, like she was shy to be asking. "What brought this on all of a sudden?" he asked.

Cassie looked out the window as she talked. "Well, I don't know what Christmas was like for you guys growing up, but for me it was always a happy time. Two weeks of just being together as a family and doing things that we normally wouldn't have time for otherwise. This is the first time in a while that…I have a family to celebrate it with."

Sam glanced at Dean, and Dean met eyes with him.

For the past month they'd been treating her like she was part of the family…

But it was another thing altogether to actually be referred to as such.

Sam didn't respond, deciding to let Dean decide.

Dean cleared his throat, turning the music down. "Well…if it just so happens that we don't have a case on the 25th of December, and we aren't dealing with drama from the realms of Heaven or Hell respectively, I don't see why not."

Cassie beamed, and bit her lip so she wouldn't break out into a megawatt smile. "Cool," she simply said, but Dean knew he'd made the right decision.

He couldn't help smiling.

They made it home at around eleven at night. But just as they were about to walk into the bunker, Dean got a call.

 _666._

"It's about time, you son of a bitch," he muttered and picked up. "Where the hell have you been? Abandoning us while Cassie was injured and jacking the blade were just fucking great, by the way!"

" _I told you I'd be in touch when I'd found Abaddon. Well…I'm in touch."_

"Where are you?" Dean asked, obvious annoyance scattered through his tone.

" _First thing's first. I'll give you the location of the first blade. You two fetch it, I'll keep her in my sights, then we'll remove her from the payroll for good."_

"Fine, where is it?"

" _St Anthony's Cemetery in Nebraska. I'll leave it to you two to figure out which one, and the man the blade is buried with is named Charles De-Angelo."_

"Fine." Dean hung up. He turned to Sam. "Crowley told us where to get the blade. Google maps St. Anthony's Cemetery."

Sam went on his phone and did just that. "There are two, but one of them is on the grounds of a church, so Crowley couldn't have gone to that one. It's got to be the one in Bruno, which is a three hour drive from here."

Cassie slumped her shoulders. _Jeez, these boys just never stop, do they?_ It was as if the Bunker was a novelty. For the most part, their lives were spent on the road.

Sam saw the look on her face. "I'll be there in just a sec, let me get Cassie set up before we head out," he said.

Dean nodded, pressing his fist gently to her arm in a "take care" gesture, and headed back for the car.

Cassie crossed her arms. "You guys are going this alone?" she asked.

Sam unlocked the bunker and led her inside, flicking on a few lights. "We'll take care of this. You should get some sleep. By the time you wake up, we'll be back," he reassured her as they made it to their bedroom.

Cassie stripped down to her tank top and underwear, then slid under the covers. Sam sat down on the other side of the bed, one arm draped over her waist. "Just get some rest." He plugged her phone in to charge and turned the sound up, placing it on the night stand. "Besides, Cas might need you. He should have his gathering of recruits by now. Maybe some negotiations will happen that you need to be there for," he pointed out.

Cassie frowned, taking his hand in hers. "You'll be okay, right? And Dean?" her wide blue eyes were filled with worry and apprehension.

Sam bent down to kiss her, nuzzling her cheek. "We've done a lot worse. This'll be easy," he said, shielding her from his doubts and anxiety.

But she saw through it. "Be careful," she said, her eyes closing. "I'll keep up with everything on my end. Just get back in one piece."

Sam reluctantly pulled away. He left the key to the bunker on the night stand in case she needed it, then turned her light off, walking out the door. "We won't be long."

Despite how tired Cassandra was, she didn't sleep well that night.

* * *

Cassandra woke with a massive headache, probably stress-induced, and found that Sam wasn't next to her.

 _They're not back_ , she thought.

She stretched her arm to check her phone.

There were no calls, but there was a text from Dean that was sent at four in the morning.

 _Got the blade. Heading to Abaddon. We'll be in Ohio._

At least she knew where they were.

But it was definitely going to be a while before they came back.

That same anxiety arose whenever she was alone. The fear that Sarah would choose a moment she was the most vulnerable to lash out at her.

 _Make yourself busy_ , she thought. So with weariness she got out of bed and shuffled down the hallway to make coffee.

Her red coffee maker had been placed on the counter in their kitchen. She scooped some of the bold blend into a filter, then poured water into the machine and pressed the button, waiting for it to work its magic.

While she waited, she started thinking of what she could for them for Christmas.

After a month of living and traveling with them, she realized that they always had takeout, ate at diners or picked up snacks and quick-meals at Gas N' sips.

When's the last time they had an actual, home cooked meal?

When Cassie was walking across the country, she'd had been lucky enough to enjoy such a treat every once in a while, when people along the way had been kind enough to take her in and offer a meal in exchange for labor.

But it was obvious that the kitchen wasn't usually used for anything more than making a pot of coffee. There weren't many of the typical kitchen-items, like salt and pepper shakers, dishware or any kind of cleaning chemical other than the standard bar of soap for washing hands. Upon closer inspection, however, she did manage to find some pots and pans under the counters and matches to start up the gas stove.

Cassie picked up one of the shiny metal pans, and was suddenly inspired with an idea.

She could make a big Christmas dinner for them, like what she and her grandma used to do for her father.

Once the idea had formed, her entire being swelled with happiness and she just couldn't shake it.

She ran back to the bedroom and clasped on a bra, pulling a sweater over herself, slipping on a pair of Sam's pajama pants and lacing up her boots, grabbing her phone and the key from the night stand.

After she was dressed, she downed a cup of coffee and grabbed the money on top of the mini fridge that was usually used for takeout, and headed out the door, pulling up directions on her phone to the nearest grocery store.


	43. Chapter 43: Light

Chapter 43

Light

Snow started to fall but Cassie managed to walk briskly back to the bunker lugging several bags of groceries before it really began accumulating.

It felt good to stretch her legs again. It was an adjustment going from walking over twelve hours a day to being driven everywhere by the Winchesters.

She'd been itching to do something productive, and this trip had done the trick.

She unlocked the door, balancing the rest of her cargo on her arms, pushing the door open with her back and shutting it with her foot.

She let out a huge breath as everything got plopped on the counter. After getting everything out of their respective bags, she started stashing away her spoils.

These included a bag of flour, sugar, butter, shortening, a pound of apples, potatoes, several heads of broccoli, cream corn, Ritz crackers, and stowing a huge chicken in the back of the freezer so the boys wouldn't find it.

Just as she was bending down to put the heavy whipping cream in the back of the fridge, her phone started going off.

Her heart did a cartwheel. _Is it Sam?_

She pulled it out of her pants pocket and immediately answered, not bothering to check the caller I.D.

"Cassandra," it was her brother's voice.

Her heart slowed, and a smile bloomed on her face at the sound of his gravely tone. "Oh, hey! How's everything?"

Cas sighed. "Sam and Dean aren't answering their phones. I tried calling to inform them that Gadreel has agreed to a private meeting. Are you at the Bunker?"

"Yeah, I just got back from the store. Do you want me to come?"

"Yes."

"Do I have time to shower?"

Cas replied, "I'm about thirty minutes away from you. I'll honk when I'm here."

"No prob, I'll hop in now. Love you," she quickly said, snapping the phone shut and dashing down the hall, throwing off her clothes and taking the fastest shower she'd ever had in her life.

She got out with ten minutes to spare. This was spent coordinating her outfit, towel drying her hair and then brushing it so that it didn't look totally like she'd just gotten out of bed.

She chose to wear the blue flowy top Sam had given her with a dark blue plaid shirt over it, buttoned only at the waist with her dark wash jeans.

She tied her hair back in a ponytail, made sure to pack Suan Ywe Gou and laced up her boots.

As she was grabbing her backpack off of the table, her phone buzzed.

 _I'm here._

She couldn't deny that she was excited. She'd gotten to have a road trip with both the boys, but she hadn't really had any quality time with her brother.

Even though it was grim circumstances, she was happy to have the opportunity regardless.

Cassie dashed out the door, double checking her pockets to make sure she had the key, her phone, and wiggling her wrist to make sure her watch would be there, clinking against the button on her shirt sleeve.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw the car.

It was a 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V, and it was a whole other matter to see that hunk of metal in broad daylight as opposed to the darkness of a motel parking lot.

She hesitantly walked over to it, peeking into the window to make sure it was her brother.

Cas was smiling and waving.

"Whatever works, I guess," she mumbled to herself, and hopped into the car.

"You tied your hair back," he observed, not seeming to show any particular opinion about it.

She leaped to hug her brother.

He was startled at first by her sudden movement, but wrapped his arms around her in a return-hug.

"I just haven't gotten to do that in a while," she said, beaming.

Cas blushed. "It never used to be a custom of ours."

"Well, it is now," she countered, slipping off her backpack and putting it between her legs on the ground. "Where to, big bro?"

Cas rolled his eyes, unable to help a goofy smile from spreading on his face. _This is so very different from how we used to be_. "A few hours from here. One of my recruits is escorting Gadreel to a neutral meeting place."

"Okay," she said. She was practically bouncing in her seat.

A road trip with her older brother was long overdue.

Castiel didn't waste any time getting to business, though.

"The goal is to acquire some cooperation from Gadreel. See what he knows of Metatron's plan, and get him to tell us in a peaceful manner. You seemed to make it work last time. He admitted to you that holy fire is rendered ineffective on him."

Cassie sat back in her seat, thinking. "This is all so crazy. If someone had told me that I'd be in the middle of an Angel Civil War a month ago, I would've told them to find counseling."

Cas laughed. "It's ironic. One of the most influential and important of our Garrison has no memory of ever being so. But at the same time, your ignorance of the last two thousand years may turn out to be your biggest advantage."

She raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"You're functioning purely on instinct," he replied. "You were programmed to know what's right and wrong, and you're not letting anything else cloud your judgement, like prejudice or the desire for control."

She shrugged. "The only thing I ever wanted was a safe place, with love and family. You, Sam and Dean have given me that. I thought everyone I cared about was in danger from being around me, so I bolted. If I'm slightly in danger because of the life that they chose to lead, then so be it. I love them."

Cas smiled gently at her words, not taking his eyes off the road. "I've grown attached to them too. I was originally assigned to them when the Apocalypse was heading towards its peak, but ever since we've stuck together. I grew closer to them more in five years than I have to other Angels in _thousands._ We've had our… _disagreements_ ," Cas coughed, putting it lightly, "but I love them too."

Cassie wiggled her eyebrows and smirked. "Especially Deeeaaaan," she said, sing-songy.

Cas grinned, not even trying to deny it. "He and I have always shared a profound bond, I just never thought it would go as far as it has."

"How far is _that_?" she inquired, biting her lip mischievously.

Cas pressed his lips together, not sure what to respond with. " _Far_ ," he said, his eyes darting around the interior of the car.

Cassie squealed. "Well, I'm glad something finally came of all that eye-sex."

Cas raised an eyebrow. "Explain. I thought humans couldn't engage in intercourse using their opticals."

* * *

Cassie wrapped her teal Carhartt tighter around herself as they stepped out of the car, walking over to the base of a large oak tree in a patch of woods.

Cassandra's eyes darted around as she stuffed her hands in her pockets. "When is the meeting supposed to happen?"

Castiel was scanning the trees too, searching for Gadreel. "Any moment."

And then suddenly there he was. There was a woman walking behind him with long dark hair of petite stature, like Cassie.

Gadreel stepped forward so he was within speaking distance. His eyes expressed surprise when they reached Cassie. "You did not say she'd be here," he said, though not sounding upset about it.

Cassie waved shyly. "Hi," she said.

"Thank you for coming," Cas said. "And thank you for coming alone."

"I have seen you through Sam Winchester's eyes, and he trusts you. You have a reputation for honor." His eyes went back down to Cassandra. "And you have proved yourself to be a capable Nurse. Metatron did not need to work so hard to heal my wounds. I am grateful to you."

She shrugged, color rising to her face. "No big deal, just bandaged you up, it wasn't anything fancy," she mumbled.

Gadreel raised an eyebrow. "Are you…frightened of me?" he asked in disbelief.

Her eyes widened. "N-no," she said.

Gadreel's expression grew pensive. "You seem as though I make you uncomfortable."

Cassandra cleared her throat. "Well…the only Angels I knew were my brother, you, and Metatron. Castiel would never hurt me, Metatron isn't exactly what I'd call "scary," but...you're just…kind of…intimidating," she admitted, unable to meet his eyes.

For some reason, her words intensely bothered him. He wanted her to like him. "I assure you, I don't mean to come off that way. But it is illogical to assume I'd ever hurt you. I healed you, I returned your brother to you. What inclination have I given that I mean harm towards you?"

Cassie sighed, finally looking up. She bit her lip nervously, then finally said in a quiet voice, "What if Metatron wanted you to?"

Castiel was stunned. _Excellent ploy, sister._

"Metatron does not see you as a threat," he responded, but the question didn't sit well with him.

What if Metatron _did_ ask him to take out Cassandra? Gadreel knew for sure he didn't want to hurt her. She was a kind individual with compassion for everyone, even her enemies, which is a rare trait to have. Physically, she wasn't a threat, she said so herself that she had no memory of her experience in combat, but what if that wasn't the most threatening quality about her?

Metatron might want her out of the way simply because her gentle demeanor could sway even the coldest of the Angels. Her range of influence might spread, and eventually those who followed Metatron would start to join the opposing side.

Gadreel was considering it himself. He didn't appreciate the way Metatron ran things. He had claimed to be in control of the entire situation, and he was supposed to have this war in the bag. But things happened that Metatron had not been able to foresee or prevent, like Gadreel getting captured by the Winchesters, or Cassandra's return.

But if someone like Cassandra were in charge…Gadreel could picture her being a fair, firm ruler. She was the one who understood that the motivation behind his actions was to gain redemption. She'd never attempt to put him back in his cell, he'd be forgiven and reinstated. Castiel too was an honorable individual, and together the pair would be the kindest leaders they'd ever had.

Gadreel could see that Metatron craved power and control.

"A beloved Warrior and leader returned from the grave? You really think Metatron won't eventually come to the realization that she's the biggest threat he has?" Castiel pointed out.

"She has no memory of her ancient persona," Gadreel countered. "Metatron would never think she is dangerous."

"You're avoiding the question," Castiel said.

Gadreel sighed, giving it more thought. "I'd explain to him that she does not mean harm, that she _can't_ inflict harm – "

" – And what happens when he decides that her presence alone is dangerous to his campaign? What if, when he realizes you won't carry out his mission, he'll have another Angel do it in your stead?"

Gadreel flinched, then looked back at Cassandra. He could see the light of her grace inside her, faint but soft and pure turquoise blue.

The color of her eyes.

Castiel continued. "I know you are eager to redeem yourself, and maybe more."

His gaze went back up to Castiel. "You refer to my support of Metatron and his campaign to rebuild Heaven?"

Cas scoffed. " _Support?_ You've recruited for him, you've _killed_ for him. That's a bit more than just _your support_ ," he snapped.

Gadreel's jaw tensed.

Cas sighed. "I know you _truly_ believe it's for the greater good, but you've placed your faith in the wrong master. You know deep down what Metatron is doing is wrong."

"He's manipulated you. I know he has because I fell for his trick myself, it led to the Fall!"

Cassie looked up at her brother, remembering what Sam had told her.

His grace had been stolen and used to create the spell that locked all of the Angels out of Heaven. Lots of Angels believed that Castiel was the catalyst for this occurrence, but it was Metatron who was truly to blame.

"The Fall led to my _second chance_!" Gadreel exclaimed.

"This is about _more_ than just you!" Cas yelled back.

"Are you suggesting I change loyalties, Castiel?!"

"I'm suggesting you reclaim your _original_ loyalty, to the Heaven and mission we were made to serve!"

"I thought that was _exactly_ what I was doing!"

Cas shook his head. "You've been deceived. And as bad as you've had it, all those centuries locked away, it will be _much worse_ under Metatron.

Gadreel was silent for a moment.

But then his whole body got tense. "Castiel!" he exclaimed.

Cas turned around just in time to stab an Angel assassin before she'd had the opportunity to stab him.

His first priority was protecting Cassandra.

Cassie's watch morphed into a blade, landing in her palm instantaneously, while she used her other hand to grab Suan Ywe Gou from the waist of her jeans.

She held them in front of herself like an X, her eyes darting between each of the combatants.

The Angel assassins did not expect this from her, but attacked regardless.

Cassie's forearm took the blunt of their attack however, like Sam had taught her, and used Suan Ywe Gou slash open the Angels' cheek.

Cas then took that opportunity to stab the Angel in the back.

Cassie's stared in horror. It let out a blood curdling scream as she saw the Angel's eyes glow bright blue and then flicker out as it slumped to the ground at her feet.

She put a hand over her mouth, tears immediately gathering in her eyes.

 _I actually helped_ _ **kill**_ _someone…_

That Angel had possessed a person. She'd killed a person who probably had a family with children…

Now three bodies scattered the floor.

To Cas, such an occurrence was nothing, except it meant that the entire meeting had been an ambush.

But he turned to Cassandra when he heard broken sobs escaping from between her fingers. Without thinking Castiel rushed to her and took her in his arms, shielding her.

He glared at Gadreel, infuriated that Cassandra had to be put through an atrocity like this when it could've been avoided.

"I had nothing to do with this," he immediately jumped to defend himself. "I never would've agreed to meet if I'd thought that concealed assassins were going to try and attack you."

Cassie peeked from underneath Cas' embrace, her eyes shining with tears.

The sight crippled Gadreel's resolve. "I hope you know that," he said gently to her.

Cas' expression changed to one of resentment to pondering. "Why are you saying this?" he asked.

Gadreel took a step closer. "Even though we are on opposite sides in this situation, I believe there must be honor. Even in matters of war."

Cas moved so he was standing in front of Cassandra. "But what happened…doesn't it _prove my point_ about Metatron? _You_ met with me in good faith, but he lied, and he _used you_ to get at me."

"Castiel – "

" – And to get to _her_ ," his head tilted down, gesturing to his sister. "Just as poor judgment undid you all those centuries ago, your mistaken trust in Metatron will bring you down again."

Gadreel sighed, his head pooling with anxiety. "I gave him my _word_. Do you expect me to come make _war_ on him?"

"No, not at all," Cas replied. "I want you to stay right where you are. Just give me reports on what Metatron is planning, and when he will strike."

Gadreel frowned. "And the _honor_ , we were speaking of?"

"Obviously, Metatron has someone in my camp. It's how he knew we were meeting. I'm just fighting fire with fire."

Cas took Cassandra's hand, kneeling down to brush away the tears on her face. He looked back up at Gadreel. "Consider my offer."

Together, hand in hand, they made their way back to the car.

Gadreel watched the form of Cassandra, looking frightened and despairing as she shuffled shyly behind her brother.

The image tore him apart. _Now she really_ _ **is**_ _afraid of me._

Even though he hadn't been harmed in the ambush, he felt even less trust for Metatron than before.

It was ironic that the one who proved Castiel's point had been Metatron and his followers. The time when Metatron believed Cassandra would be a threat to him was here.

But Gadreel didn't want the one person who had trusted and understood him to be killed. She was _grateful_ for what he had done.

And although she proved that she isn't completely helpless in combat, she sobbed for her enemies. She felt guilt and sadness for the deaths of Angels who _tried to kill her._

There was nothing purer than that.

No matter what it took, no matter how many secrets of Metatron's he had to reveal, he didn't care.

So long as that gentle blue light didn't go out.


	44. Chapter 44: Desperate

Chapter 44

Desperate

Cassie was still crying, even when they got back to the car, and her body was shaking like a leaf.

Once Castiel was in the door, he tried consoling her. "You did everything you were supposed to. You reacted in time to the threat, and - "

" –Cas, those were _people_." She held her mouth in her hands, her eyes glistening with tears. "We killed people. Angels, humans… _they're dead_."

Cas sighed, grabbing his temple between his thumb and middle finger. "This is why we need to stop Metatron, or killings like this are going to keep happening."

She put her arms down at her sides, trying to stop herself from crying. Her hands were balled up into fists as she tried to get a grip on her shaking. "Y-you're r-right. I see now. We have to - GAH!"

And just like that the pains were starting again.

 _You're such an idiot, thinking you stood a chance against them. They're fucking MAGICAL CREATURES, and you're just some Angel who can't get it up. You really thought after a little over three days of training with Mr. six foot four you'd be a full-fledged badass? You're pathetic. You can't even keep me -_

"STOOOPP!" Cassie screamed, her whole body going rigid as she crumbled over the front seat, falling into Cas' lap.

"CASSANDRA!" Cas exclaimed, immediately pressing a finger to her forehead, using the last of his strength to figure out what was going on.

He saw a blonde woman, about Cassandra's age pulling and tugging at strings that were linked to parts in Cassie's body. She was doing so violently, like each thread let to a tarp that covered a hole in the sky that she could pull down and escape from.

"This is very bad," he muttered. "Why didn't you tell me your vessel was rejecting you?! How long has this -"

" –SHE HAS TO STOP," Cassie growled through clenched teeth, fighting to get some air.

 _I almost feel bad for you. You don't know how fun it is getting to finally take control every once in a while. Ooh, I wonder what happens if -_

And then Cassie felt another pang in her chest as Sarah tugged another thread.

"You're _not_ doing this to me," Cassie snarled, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to re-envision the padded cell she kept Sarah in –

 _Yeah, good luck with that, Princess, but I'm –_

"DON'T. FUCKING. CALL. ME. THAT!" Cassie yelled. Sarah's comment fueled Cassandra's anger gave her the strength she needed to push Sarah back enough so that she fell into the prison holding. With one last shove, Cassie mentally slammed the door shut.

Her body went completely lax, and her forehead was coated in sweat as she gasped for air.

Cas' heart had stopped.

Seeing his sister in pain was a jolt to his entire being. "Are you alright?" he asked hesitantly, brushing hair out of her face.

She nodded, unable to speak at the moment.

Though the psychic attack had been brief, it had taken all of her remaining energy.

"I had no idea that your vessel was being so uncooperative. Does Sam know? Or Dean?"

She gasped hard for air, and once she had enough, she asked in a hoarse voice, "They…found out recently…" she coughed. "Is there any way…we could make this stop?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well…I was placed into a body. Maybe…could I be transplanted into someone else? Preferably someone who… _isn't_ inhabited?" her breathing was shaky.

Castiel shook his head. "Under normal circumstances, the answer would be yes, but your Grace is in a weakened state, a journey like that might kill it."

Her head fell back as she took a deep sigh. "I can't keep going on like this," she admitted, barely audible. "One of these days, it's going to be too much, and…"

She didn't want to vocalize it, but she thought _, I'll get to the point where I'll do anything to make it stop._

And Cassandra knew deep down, that's what Sarah was counting on.

She had Cassandra caught between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, if Sarah didn't attack her, she'd still be living with the guilt that she'd stolen a life from someone, whether she meant to or not.

On the other hand, it wasn't as if she could abandon ship and go somewhere else, because her Grace was too weak. And she couldn't keep dealing with these painful spasms and jabs at her body. She was starting to get sore from the attacks, and bruises would blossom over her torso.

Cassie worked to pull a folded, creased piece of paper out of her jeans pocket, and with a trembling hand held it up for her brother to grab.

He looked at her, then the piece of paper, and took it, unfolding it. "This is a list of…ingredients," he said, his eyes darting over the words.

"It's the translation…for the writing on my watch," she said weakly. "It's the spell."

Castiel's jaw clenched. "Where did you get this?"

"Crowley," she said, not wanting to lie. "Cas, is there any way you could make the potion for me?" she asked with her eyes closed, not wanting to look up and see his expression.

"No, this is insane," he said, his voice strained.

"Sam wouldn't have the heart, and Dean…he'd kill me if he knew I…went to Crowley for help. And I mean, come on! A griffin's talon, the wings of a fairy, bones from a royal Egyptian infant?"

"Sister –" Cas tried to reason, but she continued.

" -They could never do something like this. It's too big. You're the only one who can help me."

"Cassandra, there has to be another way – "

"- Cas, you don't understand. This is the most intense pain I've ever felt. There aren't words," tears were streaming freely now across her cheeks. "It takes everything I have to fight her! I won't be able to stop her next time." Her voice became a whisper and she was sobbing again. "I-I w-won't be able to t-take it."

Cas had to look away from his sister, he felt his own eyes watering at the sight of her so distraught and degraded. _I've never hated a human so much in my life_.

There was a long moment when he didn't answer.

Cassie didn't realize it, but she was holding her breath, waiting for his response.

 _The only other person who could help me is Crowley, but he's the King of Hell. It's bad enough I consorted with him in the first place._

Cas had reached a decision. "This potion is going to take time. A lot of time. Some of these ingredients are near impossible to get -"

"- Crowley said he has a lot of them," she said quietly. "I don't care what I have to give him to get them -"

" – DO NOT EVER SAY THAT," Castiel scolded. "You don't know Crowley like we do. He's a monster. And I will _not_ go to him for help unless I have no other choice." He looked at the list again. "I need to get you back to the Bunker. I'll call Sam and Dean, tell them to get back so they can look after you, and I'll send my best soldiers to acquire the items on this list."

Cas turned the key into the ignition and started driving back onto the main road to get to I-90.

"But I thought there was a rat in your camp," Cassie said. "Isn't it dangerous to tell them? What if it gets back to Metatron?"

Castiel took a minute to think. "I won't tell them specifics, I'll just say I need ingredients for a spell that might be able to reopen the gates of Heaven. That's all it will take."

Cassie sighed, sitting up once she felt better and buckling in. "It's lying to them…but I guess it's the only way to go about this safely."

Cas' jaw was tense and his eyes were stern. "I want to be clear on something. When I get this potion ready, you are not to take it. Only use it if you really truly feel that Sarah is going to inflict some serious and potentially fatal damage to you. This potion is a _last resort_."

She nodded. "I want it to be."

Cas raised an eyebrow. "But then – "

" – If the spell works, and my Grace is awakened…" she looked out her window, contemplating. "I'm not going to be the same woman I am now, am I?"

Castiel kept his eyes on the road, but images of his sister clad in silver armor slashing left and right at Demons flooded his mind. Cassandra soaring through the air, her pure white wings glistening pink and orange as the color of the sky was caught by the tips of her feathers. Her graceful movements, her coarse, wild tribal style of warfare, a technique that had been lost to the Angels for thousands of years since they adapted to be more refined as times changed. And her teeth clenched in fury, her eyes blazing with an icy coldness that was only ever seen in combat as her blades became coated in black blood.

If all of that came back to her…

"No," he simply said.


	45. Chapter 45: Rift

Chapter 45

Rift

Castiel finally got a hold of Dean while he was driving, and momentarily pulled over so they could talk.

" _Is everything okay?"_ he asked.

Cas sighed. "Cassandra's vessel is resisting. Apparently it's been an ongoing problem, you two need to get back. "

" _Dammit,"_ Cas could practically see Dean pacing and running his hand through his hair. _"She's had run-ins with this chick before though, and she's been able to fight her off."_

"Not like this. I'm with her now, and I've never seen her this pale. She's not doing well. At all."

There was a pause. " _We can't, Angel."_ Castiel could sense the anxiety in his voice. _"We just got to the rendezvous point to meet Crowley so he can take us to Abaddon. Even if we left now, it would take another two days to drive back. And I doubt you have the mojo to zap Sam to the Bunker."_

"There has to be some way – "

" – _This could be our one shot at her. We don't know for sure if Crowley could catch her again."_

 _Dammit._ Cas cringed at the mention of Crowley.

" _We'll gank her and then head straight back home. No stops."_

Cas looked to his sister laying down, filled with worry. She was pale and at the same time flushed, like she was ill. "I'll tend to her until you two get back, then. Be careful, Dean."

" _Hey, as long as I have the First Blade I'm a badass with a license to kill, so don't worry. And when I get back…"_ his voice got low and quiet, making Cas bite his lip.

"Definitely," Cas said breathily, answering his unspoken question. He was closer to being human than angel at the moment, and his body was already craving more of Dean's touch.

" _We'll get back as soon as pos – hey, Sam."_ The line went dead.

And of course he wasn't going to tell Sam because if it were up to him, they'd be driving all the way back to Kansas so they could take care of her even if it meant stuffing Dean into a burlap sack and driving the Impala there himself.

As much as Castiel cared for, worried about, and needed Dean, he could be a real pain sometimes.

He snapped his phone shut, then turned the wheel left to get back on the road.

"What'd they say?" she asked quietly, starting to doze on the backseat, clutching at her stomach.

"I'll be looking after you until they get back. They can't afford to leave when this could be their one chance at Abaddon."

"In other words, Sam doesn't know," she said, raising an eyebrow with her eyes closed. She didn't word it like a question, it was more a statement of fact.

Cas sighed, exasperated. "I'd say that's a safe assumption."

Cassandra held onto the thought of Sam. His hair in the morning before he brushed it back with his fingers, the way he looked at her, the soft kisses he'd plant on her forehead when he thought she was asleep… _If I can hold on to that, I can make it through this._ "Just get me to the bunker and I'll take care of myself. You've got other things to worry about that are more important than me."

"You're my sister, you come first."

"No," she countered weakly. "Don't pull a Winchester and put your sibling before everything else. You're in the middle of a war. You have an entire _Army_ who needs you."

"They need _you_ too," his voice got louder. "Don't you understand you're just as important to this fight as I am?"

"I'm important enough to kill, at least." She coughed.

 _The funny part is he might not end up having to try too hard._

 _WHAT THE HELL?!_ Cassandra cringed to hear Sarah's voice again.

She'd pushed her out enough to block out the pain she could inflict, but apparently her words were still able to filter through.

"Don't say that!" Cas' voice cracked, distraught by the very _idea_ of Cassandra leaving this world.

Again.

Not on his watch, God dammit.

Castiel did a double take at his sister, and realized that Cassandra was barely percepting her surroundings.

She was acting feverish, as if she had the flu.

 _That's a laugh. You probably won't even last until_ _ **Christmas**_ _, let alone lead an army into battle. Get real._

"I _have_ to last until Christmas," she said, her voice quiet. "Or that chicken will be wasted. I doubt they've ever cooked anything in their lives, and – "

" –What the hell are you talking about?!" Cas gritted his teeth, holding back tears. _Please stop talking about dying. I just got you back. I have the power to prevent it this time, you can't leave me again._

Castiel had been lost for a long time without his sister. The pain of losing her had never gone away, the way his superiors like Uriel had informed him it would. It haunted him ever since.

He admired the Winchesters so much because they had done what he could not.

Keep their sibling alive, no matter the cost.

 _Or wouldn't it be just_ _ **hysterical**_ _if you_ _ **did**_ _get through cooking all that wonderful food, sat down to enjoy it with your_ _ **new family**_ _, and then you choked?_

Cassie grimaced. "I won't let you ruin Christmas. This is the first one that I'll have a family with – "

" – If you leave this world and die, what do you think is going to become of Sam?!" Castiel finally snapped.

Cassandra grew quiet, a jolt running through her. _Sam._

"How do you think he'd fare without you? It would _destroy_ him. You have too many people here who care about you! Could you really leave us behind?!"

Cassandra worked hard to slowly get to a sitting position, glaring at her brother. "Do not. Bring up. Sam."

Images ran through her mind. She could never take her own life, no matter how much Sarah tormented her.

She could picture his face, seeing her lying dead on the ground, covered in blood, or unconscious.

It _would_ destroy him.

 _I have to be strong. I have to fight this for him_.

 **She's trying to live through you and make you suffer but it's because she's jealous. Jealous of you.**

Sam's gentle words swam into her consciousness, and she repeated them over and over to herself like a mantra.

 **How beautiful you are, how kind, how strong…how loved.**

She felt her strength returning.

 **Fight her.**

Cassandra took a deep breath.

 **Fight this.**

 _I will._ "Cas, I'm going to try something. Keep driving." She went back to lying down, taking deep, steady breathes.

"What are you doing?" His voice took on a worried tone.

"I'm going to confront her. This needs to stop. If this doesn't work, we'll always have the spell, but I need to try talking to her."

Castiel shook his head. "That's a very bad idea. She could use the opportunity to take control, and then you'd be in _her_ position."

"I have to take that risk. I can't fight this forever, and you're right. I'm not just fighting for _me_ anymore."

Cas glanced over at his sister, pale, shaking and beaten, but determined.

He wouldn't be able to stop her anyway. "How do you know this will even work?"

"I don't," she said, and without another word, she closed her eyes.

She blocked out everything. The rumble of the car's engine, the bumps in the road, how cold her hands were, the throbbing in her head, the sharp soreness in her abdomen, and got herself to the point that she was asleep.

Almost.

She was in a state where she could lucid dream.

Cassie knew she was dreaming, but at the same time she was aware of her surroundings.

She knew she was in the car, on the way to the bunker, being driven by her brother.

But she didn't hear or feel or see anything outside her own mind.

 _What are you doing?_ Sarah asked, suddenly not seeming so cocky.

 **You can't give up,** Sam's words echoed.

Cassandra opened her eyes and she was in front of a prison cell door.

It looked like a giant concrete square, but there were cracks in the foundation and patches, like it had crumbles multiple times and had been patched up.

It was a duct-tape solution.

But now she was ready to do some serious renovation.

 **Fight her.**

 **Fight this.**

 **You can't give up.**

She clenched her jaw, balling her fists, and reached automatically for her Suan Ywe Gou –

But it wasn't there.

All she had was her watch.

She made it morph into a blade, falling into her palm.

 _Without two blades though, I'm not much good in a fight._

She shivered when she heard her own thoughts echo around her.

"So my thoughts aren't secret here," she said aloud, and took a deep breath. "Fine. Time to settle this once and for all." She stared at the cell door, silver bars glistening but dented, like they'd been tinkered with.

And there behind the door, standing emitting attitude and malice, was Sarah.

She looked a bit different from the las time Cassandra had seen her. She didn't look like the young, gangly teenage girl she had been.

Her blonde hair was wavy and long, going past her breasts. Her eyes were dark, and she looked like less of a shadow, more substantial. Instead of the green flip flops she'd been sporting earlier, she was clad in athletic-looking Nikes and her outfit was black.

She looked Stronger, like being behind the bars of a cell was simply a formality.

Sarah grinned, the eeriness of it making goosebumps rise on Cassie's arms. "Well, _this_ is a first."

* * *

Sam couldn't believe it.

In the span of an hour, Abaddon was dead.

Dean had really truly done it.

But he was irritated.

His brother had lied completely. Again. Not only did he tell Crowley one of their sacred code words, Crowley had also warned them it was a trap and Dean used his warning to purposely set it up so they would split paths and Sam would be away from the fight.

In the end of the day, was it the right course of action? Maybe. But did it justifying lying to Sam? No.

And on top of it all, Dean was refusing to stash away the blade someplace safe, which set Sam on edge, and he was driving like a madman, not even stopping for bathroom breaks.

"I don't get what you're rushing for," Sam complained. "We just got done ganking one of the major threats on our hit list, can't we take a breather?"

Dean glared. "Shut up."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Whatever." _Just breath_ , he told himself. _Think about something nice._

A set of sky blue eyes came to mind, making him instantly smile.

He thought about the day they were in Sanford, how they sent it making love and that for the first time in a while, Sam had at that moment, felt completely at peace.

For those few days, the hunt for Abaddon, the War against Metatron and Castiel's weakening grace didn't' exist.

Nothing but the woman he loved and her warm embrace.

 _We never did get to pick up where we left off last time_ , he thought to himself _, and Christmas was coming up, too._

He wanted to give her something special. It was initially going to be the necklace, but Dean had been so adamant about the fact she didn't have a protective tattoo against demon possession, he had to give it to her early.

He'd think of something.

"I didn't expect you to actually shut up," Dean said, jolting Sam from his thoughts.

 _Don't feed into it, he's looking for a fight._ "Just wondering what I should get Cassie for Christmas," he mumbled, looking out the window.

Dean flinched at the mention of Cassandra. "Um…yeah, _about_ Cassie…" Dean trailed off.

Sam immediately stiffened. "Yeah?" His arms were crossed and his tone was suspicious.

"So…Cas called a little earlier before Crowley, and said Sarah's been messing with her again."

Sam bit his lip. "Is she okay?"

Dean sighed. "I told Cas that she's been attacked like this before, but he said this time it's different. This one took a toll on her."

"He should've asked for us to come, we could've done something."

Dean didn't respond at first. "He kind of did."

Sam scowled. "What do you mean, he _kind of_ did? That's like, I _kind of_ smoked a cigarette, or I'm _kind of_ wasted, or _kind of_ lying – "

" – Sam," Dean interrupted, but he was right. "Yeah, he asked us if we could go to her to see what we could do. But I told him we had to take this shot with Abaddon, and the we'd head back to Lebanon as soon as we - "

" – So this entire time not only did you lie about Crowley but when my girlfriend is in danger, you don't tell me!"

"Cas is going to look after her until we get back, she's not in danger."

Sam clenched his jaw. "That's why you haven't stopped this entire time too, right?"

Dean simply said, "Yes. Check the GPS and see how we're doin'."

Sam stared at Dean in disbelief and pure rage, but did what he was told. He rerouted their destination from their current location. "We've got seven hours left."

Dean sped up. "I'll make it six."


	46. Chapter 46: Darkness

Chapter 46

Darkness

They pulled up in front of the Bunker at eight in the morning.

Sam bolted out of the car even before Dean had taken the key out of the ignition.

Dean sighed, shaking his head. "She's fine, or Cas would've –"

" – Shut up," Sam immediately cut him off, pointing a finger in his face. "You lied. A lot. _Nothing_ about this is fine!"

Dean clenched his jaw, keeping his anger under control, slowly stepping out of the car and slamming the door shut. "Well it's nice to know that you were a ticking time bomb the whole way here," Dean countered.

Sam scoffed. "What if Cas had been in danger and I'd withheld information about it from _you_?" He searched Dean's eyes for a reaction.

"We needed to take out Abaddon, and Cas had it covered on his end."

"Yeah, okay the Angel running on empty, that's pretty damn _reassuring_ ," Sam said, exasperated.

Dean shoved Sam. "Don't talk about him like that," he growled.

Without another word, Sam descended down the stairs and into the Bunker.

He waited for Sam to be completely out of sight, then with lightning speed popped open the trunk and slipped a hand through the dark cloth concealing the First Blade.

Dean immediately felt a jolt of pure bliss and calm.

He had to hold back a moan, the cold, rough grooves in the bone provided such a relief. He'd never shot up heroin, but he assumed that the feeling a junkie received equated what he was experiencing.

It had been so satisfying to finally get rid of Abaddon, and then some. It was a calm, quick kill with strong, blunt, clean movements. Dean felt completely right and at peace while he bashed her face in.

After a few long moments, he reluctantly pulled his hand away and re-wrapped the blade, shoving the hood of the trunk down.

He wanted badly to bring it with him, keep it beside him, but he couldn't take the risk with Sam around.

Crowley couldn't get to it in the demon-proof trunk of the Impala, so Dean _logically_ knew it was safe.

He tried to shake off how the warmth and calm he had felt was quickly evaporating from his skin.

Leaving behind the throbbing sting of the mark on his arm.

* * *

 _Please be okay,_ Sam mentally pleaded, instantly dashing to his room, searching for her.

The sight before him stopped him in his tracks.

The first time Sam had encountered her, he'd been held in place, captivated by her quiet beauty as she slept in one of the spare beds, her luscious dark brown curls cascading over her pillow.

But the sight before him was almost a parody of their first encounter.

She was lying in bed, so pale Sam would've mistook her for a vampire if he'd glanced at her through his peripheral vision.

She had dark bags under her eyes and was curled around the comforter, rather than being burrowed underneath it. Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing wasn't relaxed.

Castiel sat at her bedside, brushing back her hair with his fingers. "Hello, Sam," he said. His eyes were full of concern and anxiety.

He didn't look so great himself. He looked paler than usual, though not to Cassie's extent and his eyes were red, like he hadn't gotten sleep.

Sam swallowed nervously, taking a tentative step towards them. "How is she?"

"She's been like this since yesterday," Cas said, his jaw tight. "She said…she was going to try confronting Sarah. She hasn't woken up since."

 _Dammit._ Sam ran his hand through his hair. "How long ago was that?"

Cas let out a deep sigh. "Almost ten hours now," he glanced down at her.

"I'll look after her now, Cas," Sam said, pulling him into a one-armed hug. "Thank you for taking care of her. Go ahead and see Dean."

Cas nodded. "Thank you." He slipped his trench coat back on, and then left to the room to find Dean.

Sam softly closed the door, dimming the lamp in their room, then laid down on his side of the bed, resting one arm over her head and the other around her waist, burrowing into her hair.

Even though her skin was the color of ice, she felt like a furnace.

"I should've been here for you," he whispered, barely audible.

He'd wanted to make love to her. He promised her he would finish what they started. He'd planned to be just as gentle and sweet as the first day they'd joined as one.

But now her soft skin was burning up and she was trapped inside her own mind.

If Sam had known Sarah was going to attack her, he wouldn't have dared to leave her side. He'd wanted to be with Dean when he'd faced Abaddon, but it had been a waste. Dean didn't want Sam with him anyway, he would've only been a liability. Abaddon could've used him as a bargaining chip to make her escape.

Sam felt sick. _I should've been by your side so I could help you, like before_.

He took her hand in his, gently holding one of her fingertips between his pointer finger and thumb. _Please come back to me_ , he thought, the tears pooling behind his eyes _. Don't tell me I'm too late._

* * *

"I don't usually get visitors, much less a private audience with the _Warden_ ," Sarah sneered, leaning against the wall of her cell with her arms crossed.

"This tug of war game you've been playing with my body needs to stop," Cassie glared at her.

Sarah smirked. "I wouldn't say tug-of-war. More like...a puppeteer controlling the motions of a marionette. You didn't put up too much of a fight."

"Or _else_ ," her blade was in her hand, but her palms were sweaty. She was _not_ going to let Sarah's words get to her.

Sarah laughed. "If you had the balls to kill me, you would've done it by now. But you don't quite have the juice, do you? The only way to get rid of me is to wiggle your nose and concoct that spell you have in your pocket. But you wouldn't risk your life just to have me out of the way… _would_ you?"

"You know for someone who lives in my head, you don't really know me as well as you think," Cassie countered.

But Sarah just exploded, shaking the bars of her cage. "IT'S NOT **YOUR** FUCKING HEAD YOU BITCH!" Sarah spat at Cassie's feet. "It's mine, and you stole it! And you need to give it back!"

Cassie shook her head. "Ordinarily, I would've done that. But I'm not just living for _me_ anymore."

"Oh, right," Sarah said, her voice starting to shake with rage. "Now you've got your Brother Dear, your discount James Dean and of course, the Beast to your Beauty."

"Sarah, I swear I had no idea all those years that you were here. That I was inside you," Cassie tried to reason but this just enraged her more.

"I KNOW! I tried so HARD! So fucking hard to get your attention. I screamed and screamed at you to let me have a life but you didn't even _hear_ me. The only way I could have a voice was to catch you off guard when you were off in Dreamland! CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW THAT FELT?!"

"How _what_ feels, Sarah? To be called a name that doesn't belong to you, or wanting to talk to your loved ones except you _can't_?! Yes, I know _exactly_ how that feels! I have a family in Vermont I can't talk to because I want to keep them safe!"

"And what about the Hicks you're running with now, huh? You think you're not putting _them_ in danger?!"

Cassie flinched. "You don't care about them, you're just trying to hurt me."

Sarah laughed. "Oh, no, Princess. _This_ is me trying to hurt you – " and Sarah clenched her fist…

But nothing happened.

Her eyes went wide. "What the fuck…" she muttered under her breath.

Cassie held the blade up to Sarah's neck.

Sarah froze.

"If it were just me, and I'd known about you, I would've given myself up and let you live your life. But it's not just _about_ me anymore," she said softly, but her tone was dead serious. "I can't hurt Sam. I love him. I want a life with him, and you're not gonna stand in the way of that."

"Fuck you and your happiness! It's a good thing I like Sam, or I wouldn't exactly _like_ when you two go bump in the night."

Cassie froze. "What are you talking about," she went red in the face.

Sarah shivered. "I feel _everything_. I hear it all and I see everything you see because you're inside me! You think when you have sex with him you're all alone?"

"Oh my God…" Cassie put a hand over her mouth. "You're lying," she said, but there was no conviction behind her words.

Sarah shook her head. "I mean you kept me a virgin for over twenty years and believe me, that was torture, but the idea of being fucked without any control of what was happening was even _worse_."

"You're trying to make me feel bad so I let my guard down," Cassie said, because her thoughts weren't private.

But she knew that Sarah was actually being honest. Her carefully crafted mask of confidence was shattering.

"Damn straight. I mean…I like Sam. He's a good guy and he'd do anything for you, he'd never ever hurt you but Fuck…" she was trying not to cry. "I mean, it sucks when you like a guy and you're too shy to tell them. But…to get kissed and touched and whispered sweet things to when the name at the end of his sentences isn't mine..."

"Holy crap," Cassie muttered, no longer able to look at her.

"You have _no idea_ what you've stolen from me, do you? The chance to date a guy I thought was cute in high school, to have a graduation party, get drunk, and then you dragged me all over the country while we lived on the streets like hood rats!"

Cassie lowered her blade. "Sarah…" she found tears welling up in her eyes.

Tears were streaming down Sarah's face now, and her voice trembled as she spoke. "Up in Maine, when you met my mom, I wanted to run into her arms and call her mommy and tell her I loved her. You took that from me, and now I'll never see her again. I couldn't kiss my father's cheek at the Funeral because you were in control. And then when we actually had a decent life in Vermont, you managed to fuck that up too!"

Cassie didn't know what to say, but her wrist slackened just a fraction, not as confident in her actions as before.

 _I could never kill her_ , she thought, _despite all the pain she's caused me_. _It's nothing compared to what I've done to her._

Sarah glared. "I heard that," she growled. "You might as well kill me, you'd be doing me a favor."

Cassie looked back over at Sarah, her watery eyes and her clenched fists.

Then she glanced down at the shiny blade in her hand.

Maybe she could do it, once and for all, and put her out of all the misery she was feeling.

Cassie swallowed. "I don't want to," she said quietly.

Sarah pressed herself against the bars and closed her eyes. "Do this one thing for me," she whispered. "You took everything else from me, taking my life shouldn't be too hard," she muttered bitterly.

Cassie's eyes darted between the tip of her blade and Sarah's clenched eyes and teeth.

Maybe if she killed Sarah, she'd finally have some peace. She wouldn't have to perform the spell, she wouldn't have to live in fear...

She could marry Sam and have children with him, not have to worry about an onlooker spying on her…

She pulled her hand back, getting ready to aim her blade above Sarah's heart –

 _ **I should've been here for you.**_

Cassie gasped, her blade clattering to the floor.

"Sam," she said without thinking.

That had been _his_ voice.

Were they back from Ohio?

Had they killed Abaddon?

Were they alright?

"I can't kill you," Cassie said to Sarah's closed eyes.

Sarah opened her eyes. "You're so fucking selfish," she gasped out, wiping away her tears. "I made it easy for you to hate me and you _still_ can't do it."

Cassie reached a hand through the bars to Sarah's shoulder.

"Maybe I can find a way leave your body without destroying my Grace and then – "

" – Get real, Princess. There's only one way for us to settle this."

Cassie scowled at the nickname, pulling her hand away. She reached into her jean pocket and pulled out the piece of paper with Crowley's instructions.

Did she really have to perform the Awakening spell? Was it the only way?

She wanted to make peace with her enemies, like she had with Gadreel.

But there were some people she couldn't turn into allies, like Metatron and…

Sarah?

Maybe there _was_ a way they could coexist.

Cassie glanced back up at Sarah, and snapped her fingers.

The heavy duty prison cell that held Sarah dissolved.

Sarah looked around her, bewildered. "The hell…"

"I want time. I want to figure out a way to leave your vessel without either one of us dying," Cassie said. "In the meantime…I'll be more considerate of you. I didn't know…anything about how you felt," she said quietly.

Sarah glared at her for several moments, but then her expression softened. "I'll give you a month. That's about as long as I can stand. If you haven't found anything, do the spell…and then may the best one of us win."

Cassie sighed, holding back the anxiety building up in her chest. Would she really have to kill Sarah? And if she couldn't…could she live with only having one month with Sam?

"If not, the pains will start again, and we're back to square one," Sarah added.

To her astonishment, Cassie stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug.

Sarah tried to pull away at first, but Cassie's warmth put an end to her resistance.

"I promise you I'll figure this out," she said, then pulled away. "Angels aren't supposed to kill. We heal. And we fight."

Suddenly everything around her was pitch black. Cassie was being shot fast up into the darkness, like a life preserver to the surface from an ocean's depths.

She was rising faster and faster until her head was swimming with dizziness –

Cassie opened her eyes to see that she was in a dimly lit room.

She felt warm and sweaty, but she was cooling down.

Her small, smooth hand was being held by a coarse, large one.

"Sam," her voice was hoarse from lack of use.

The body snuggled into her immediately stiffened. "Thank God," he said, immediately tilting his head down to plant a kiss on her lips.

 _I hope this is okay with you Sarah,_ she thought as she gently kissed him back.

Sam moved his kisses to her forehead, her cheeks, her neck, then finally he rested his forehead against hers, his unshed tears falling onto her face. "I should've been here," he said through clenched teeth.  
He was trying to keep his emotions in check but Sam couldn't mask his fear and pain from her.

Not Cassandra.

She wrapped her arms around him. _Oh God I can't leave him_ , she thought, and was unexpectedly met with a greeting from Sarah.

Her voice sounded much less hostile this time. _The man worships you._

Cassie wrapped her arms around the man who held her heart in his. For now she would console him, reassure him that she was okay.

But afterwards, they needed to talk.

* * *

Cas made it halfway up the steps out of the bunker when he ran into Dean walking halfway down. He blushed as his blue eyes made contact with Dean's green ones.

Dean's were filled with hunger. His gaze went to Cas' lips as he bit his own.

Within seconds his mouth descended onto Cas', devouring him.

Cas moaned as Dean's tongue danced against his.

The burden of worrying for his sister and the upcoming war between the Angels had taken a toll on Cas and he needed to de-stress.

As usual, his Hunter had a remedy for all of his tension and anxiety.

But he found there was a rough aggression in Dean's touch that hadn't been there before.

"Oh, Angel, I wanna take you right here right now on these stairs," Dean growled into Cas' mouth, grabbing his ass and pressing Cas' torso against his own.

Cas gasped, caught off guard by Dean's forwardness.

Castiel shrugged off his trench coat, for once not letting himself be deterred by things like clothes or logic. His hands went to Dean's chest and shoulders, clutching at sculpted muscles of Dean's upper back.

Dean groaned primally in response, starting to rip off Cas' pants.

"D-Dean we c-can't h-here," he barely managed to get out, but Cas was already rock hard.

"I need you _now_ ," Dean's deep voice whispered, forcing Cas onto the ground in doggy position.

Cas groaned with being placed onto the ground so quickly. "Dean we can't," he said.

Part of him felt this was wrong. Dean had never been this forceful before. There was something inside Cas that reveled in Dean's new found dominance but it also worried him.

"I'll make this one quick and then we can get _really_ get the ball rollin', but I just can't take it anymore," Dean groaned in a rush.

Cas glanced up the hallway, but Sam's door was closed and it was quiet.

They were safe.

Cas couldn't hold back a cry once Dean entered him.

Normally he eased himself in gently, letting Cas' body adjust to Dean's fullness before slowly picking up his pace to get into a torturous, sweet rhythm.

But _this_ Dean wasn't showing any mercy.

Once Cas got past the pain, there was a bundle of nerves that Dean just went to town on and was already building Cas up to an orgasm.

"D-D-ean," he moaned, pushing his torso back and Dean thrusted forward.

Dean bit his lip, the pleasure was so overwhelming. "I've been dying to do this since we got off the phone. I fucking love how you feel, Angel," Dean groaned, thrusting faster and faster.

Without even touching Cas' erection, Dean drove him to a climax that made his vision go dark. His entire body tensed and shook with the intensity of it, but even through it Dean didn't stop.

"D-Dean," he protested weakly, as his head and arms sunk to the ground. "S-sore," he whined, but he wasn't stopping.

"Oh, Baby don't say that. I'm nowhere near done with you," Dean said, sending a shiver down Cas' spine. "I'm gonna mess you up so good you won't be able to move tomorrow," he promised.


	47. Chapter 47: Pillow Talk

**Author's Note: Hey! Just a quick notification for you guys: I went back and re-read a bunch of chapters, and I changed a LOT. I go back and edit chapters all the time for grammar/spelling errors, but also when there are plot holes in the story. So…happy reading :)** **All reviews and criticisms are welcome.**

 **XeroSanity**

Chapter 47

Pillow talk

Sam cradled Cassandra in his arms. He breathed evenly after he'd calmed down. His heart was a soothing, steady rhythm against her ear. Cassie however, felt her heart was going to burst, she felt such love for him. At the same time, such anguish for the pain she knew her absence had put him through.

He was content to have her safe, healthy and in one piece in his embrace but Cassie had other plans.

She bit her lip, then shyly leaned up to kiss the spot underneath his jaw.

Sam froze. "C-Cassie – "

" – _Please_ ," she said quietly, reaching a hand up to the back of his neck, gently tugging at his hair.

"Mmmm," Sam didn't mean to be so responsive but that one, subtle gesture stirred his pent up desire. "We shouldn't. You had a fever five minutes ago – "

 _Well now I'm hot in other places._ "I need _**us**_ ," she whispered, breathlessly planting kisses into his neck. She didn't know how else to ask, but she needed to feel his skin against hers.

 _I really really hope you don't object to this_ , Cassie thought to Sarah, but there was no response.

Sam's entire body responded to that one, miniscule word.

Us.

 _I need_ _ **us**_ _too. Bad._ He moved so Cassie was laying down on her back underneath him. Sam slipped Cassie's tank top over her head and starting kissing down her neck to the top of her breast.

Cassie sighed, tilting her head back, her arms wrapped around him.

Sam nuzzled into her chest but paused, lifting his head up to look down at her. "Are you sure you want – "

In answer, she silenced him with a kiss, her lips dancing against his. Sam moaned quietly, pulling away from the kiss briefly only so he could get out of his shirt.

It had been too long since Cassandra had felt the pleasure and relief only Sam could provide. Even after her intense encounter with Sarah, her existence slipped Cassie's mind as she grew bolder and starting undoing Sam's belt.

Sam shuddered feeling her gentle fingers softly brushing against his skin as she pulled his zipper down. "We never did get around to finishing what we started, did we?" his voice was husky and needy and she pulled his jeans down.

She shook her head. "N-no," she gasped.

All her sounds and reactions were just aggravating his arousal more, and with the most care and gentility he could muster, he slipped off her underwear and moments afterwards they were both moving against each other under the duvet.

"Aaah S-S-Sam," she whimpered, her arms encompassing his neck.

Sam looked down at her as he moved, then leaned down to softly kiss her.

The first time it was intense and quick, they were both so pent up. But the second time was mercifully slow and sweet.

They both had enough patience that they could truly relish in the feeling of being one with another. Cassie's soft stomach pressed against his rock hard torso, her leg entwined around his, his natural musk and the scent of the Impala mingling together in her nostrils and how full and complete he made her feel.

His face was buried in her neck for most of it, breathing in her scent, gaining satisfaction just from the contact with her soft warmth.

Eventually however, Sam felt another orgasm building up slowly and surely. As he pulled away to look at Cassie, her eyes were shut and her mouth was open in a glorious, elegant "O" shape, the indicator she was well on her way to release as well.

"F-Fuck, S-Sam," she groaned through gritted teeth. It was music to Sam's libido.

He started to thrust faster and Cassie whined, bucking her hips up to meet his thrusts. Her body started to quiver and shake. "Oh! G-God, S-SAM!"

 _Yes. Yes. Come for me._ "I know, Babe," he whispered, getting close too.

And suddenly for Cassandra it was so overwhelming and all-consuming. Her body was still sensitive and raw from her first orgasm, and the love she felt for this man was so intense and irrevocable it was crushing.

She loved him so much. Every curve of his body, all of his scars, the gold tints in his eyes, the crow's feet next to his eyes when he smiled, the anti-possession star that was etched over his heart…absolutely everything.

And he was hers. All hers. The necklace she wore was a symbol of just how much she belonged to him, body and soul. They were a matching pair.

Then Sam hit those sweet spots inside her that halted all of her thoughts and she was suddenly nothing but sensation. "AAH! AAH! AAAHHH OHHH!" Her entire body tensed around him, her hips going rigid and her head being thrown back, sweat glistening over the tops of her breasts and her forehead.

The sight of Cassie' body tensed in pure pleasure and ecstasy was more than enough to push Sam over the edge. "C-C-Cassie," he groaned, burying his face her neck and biting down into her skin to control his shaking. His release was a sweet rush of endorphins frying his nerves like a lightning strike. _I love you._

Once his shaking subsided, Sam breathlessly collapsed next to her, getting off before he would crush her.

Cassie was a limp noodle, flushed and spent.

 _I really needed that…needed_ _ **her**_ _._ Sam's glance moved to his lover beside him, her face completely stress free and relaxed. He smiled _. Looks like I'm not the only one._

It was final. This woman was his world. It had been so long since he'd been able to completely lose himself like that with another person. Her bright smile and beautiful blue eyes were all he could think about on the ride home, and he never wanted to leave her, unprotected ever again.

"I'm so sorry, Cassie," Sam said, suddenly overcome with guilt.

Cassie giggled. "Please don't tell me you're apologizing for _that_. Because _that_ was really really nice," she grinned, her eyes closed.

"I should have stayed here with you."

Her smile disappeared, and she opened her eyes, looking over at his guilt-ridden expression. "Not that again. I'm _okay_."

"No…" Sam rested an arm over his eyes, sighing. "We need to find a way to deal with Sarah. I can't bare to see you like that again."

Cassie bit her lip. "We need to talk about that."

Sam raised an eyebrow, turning so he was laying on his side, facing her. "What is it?"

Cassie sat up, clutching a pillow to her chest as she spoke. "I spoke to her when I was unconscious. She…the pain I've caused her…" she looked away, clenching her jaw. "It makes my pain look minor in comparison."

"What do you mean?"

"I've…because I've been the one in control…I deprived her of so much through the years..."

"You kept her safe," Sam immediately countered. "Even when things got rough, through running across the country as a refugee, you kept her alive and well."

"For the most part," she mumbled.

"Cassie," Sam said more firmly. "What kind of life would she have had if you'd never been planted inside her? Her dad would've still passed away, her mom still would've been an unreliable flake, Sarah would've been put in the foster care system just like you were – "

" – But if it weren't for my accident at the Concert Hall, she would still be in Vermont, happily settled into a family who loved her," Cassie admitted.

"And your grace would still be incubating in a glass vial somewhere," he countered, his mouth set in a firm line.

She sighed, biting her lip in contemplation. "I want to find a way that she and I can both live through being separated."

Sam took her hand in his. "How?"

Cassie bit her lip. "I don't know. I'm trying to avoid the awakening spell because I don't want to kill her. Even with everything she's put me through, I've put her through hell, too."

"But you never _knew_ you were possessing a vessel, Cassie. You didn't make her suffer on purpose. You can't blame yourself when you had no idea – "

" –Yes I can," she insisted. She closed her eyes. "To be honest…some small part of me always knew. It's the same as what you said about being possessed by Gadreel. I felt like I wasn't completely alone, you know?"

Sam shook his head. "It's still not your fault. You didn't ask to be placed into a vessel. There was a lot that wasn't in your control – "

" – But now there's a lot that _is._ I need to find a way to give Sarah her life back."

"The only way that's possible is if we perform the spell and she wins…which…" Sam turned away. "Cassie, that can't happen."

"I know," she whispered. "Before I met you, it wouldn't have mattered, but now…"

Sam turned back again to gape at her in shock. "How can you say that?! Your life has _always_ mattered."

"It matters _now_ because I have someone who loves me. I don't want to hurt you. Ever."

Sam sat up to face her, and stared straight into her eyes. "You made a promise to me that no matter what, you'd build a life with me. No matter what you learned about your past, or if you ever reclaimed your Grace, nothing would change how we feel about… _us_."

Cassie took in a sharp breath, clutching Sam's hand tight. "Sam…if I were another Angel, and I was possessing Sarah, what would you be trying to do?"

Sam didn't speak partly because he knew what the answer would be.

He'd do everything in his power to eject the Angel and save the human.

Because that was their job.

But this was different.

"It's not the same," he assured her.

"Isn't it? How is it _not_?"

"Because I _love_ you!" Sam outburst, pressing his forehead to hers. "You're not just a random douchebag with wings, you're the woman I want to wake up next to every morning and wrap my arms around every night. I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe, and if that means making sacrifices, then so be it."

"Sacrificing a human life?" She pressed.

Sam didn't answer, his gaze going down in distress.

"I love you with all my…everything," Cassie said softly. "But you have to know that…I shouldn't even be…"

Sam shook his head. "Sometimes things aren't always so black and white. It's our job to save people…but it's also our job to protect our family, no matter what the cost." He looked up again. "You're family to me. And you're family to Cas. We protect our own, even at the expense of everyone else. It's what we do."

Cassie intertwined her fingers with his, meeting his gaze. "I have one month. Sarah's giving me that much time to look for a solution, and if I don't find one…"

Sam gently pressed his lips to hers. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

* * *

After the little stunt Dean pulled in the hallway, Cas literally was unable to move.

His entire body was spent and sore, even though he was satisfied.

When Dean was finished, he'd zipped up his pants, stripped off his shirt and swaggered over to the mini fridge to grab a beer.

That's when Cas knew that something was wrong with Dean.

He felt a sated desire blossom in his stomach at the sight of Dean's back, rippled with muscles and definition and the sweat that clung to him. But even though that had been one of the most intense sexual experiences he'd ever had, something still felt off.

Dean had never been so rough with Cas before, and he'd never seemed so…indifferent.

After making love, Dean was always so attentive and… _cuddly_. Needy, even. His favorite past time was burrowing into Cas' chest and soaking up his warmth, falling asleep in Castiel's arms.

But _this_ Dean took Cas right then and there in the middle of the hallway without batting an eye and then had the gall to walk over and grab a beer right afterwards.

When he turned around, Dean was holding two beers, and his expression had changed.

That's when Cas got a glimpse of _his_ Dean.

His entire demeanor had changed, like he had just processed what he'd done and felt ashamed and consumed with self-loathing.

Dean looked at his disheveled Angel, lying limp on the floor, one arm over his torso and his eyes weak and dazed.

His eyes met Cas', and his jaw clenched.

Dean walked back over to Cas, laying on his stomach on the ground, and immediately scooped him up in his arms and planted a sweet, delicate kiss on his lips, then handed him the second beer.

"I…I don't know what came over me…" he admitted, nuzzling into Cas' neck.

Castiel relaxed. "It was definitely… _different_ ," he downplayed, shooting him a smile.

Dean chuckled softly, kissing Cas' ear. "I guess that's what happens when I don't get my daily dose of you," he rumbled quietly against Cas' ear, making him shiver.

Dean opened his beer and then opened the other one for Cas using the edge of his teeth, handing it back to him.

Cas took a sip from it, not quite used to the taste. Or the molecules.

Dean took a long set of gulps from his own, then placed it down, the beer half gone already. "Oh man that hit the spot," he leaned his head back against the cool wall, still holding Cas with one arm.

Cas couldn't help but glance over at the mark, red and stark against Dean's natural colored skin like a brand.

Dean leaned his head on Cas' shoulder, closing his eyes. "Listen, um…Angel, if…if something happens to me, or to you or somethin', you know? I just…I want you to know that…" he cleared his throat. "I mean you told me you loved me before, so I – "

" – I know," Cas whispered, placing a hand on Dean's head, running his fingers through his hair.

Dean sighed, relieved.

Cas knew Dean felt it, but he was still too afraid to openly say the words.

That was the least of his concerns.

He felt in the pit of his being that Dark-Dean was not a one-time occurrence. His greatest fear was that one day, Dean would go back into that realm of darkness and cruelty, and Cas would never get the Hunter he loved back again.


	48. Chapter 48: Christmas

Chapter 48

Christmas

Christmas morning, Cassandra snuck quietly out of bed long before the sun was up and made quick work of showering and getting dressed.

She had a long day of cooking ahead of her.

Once she got out to the kitchen, she set up the coffee maker for brewing, then tied her hair back and got to work.

 _Don't make it seem like you're doing them a favor. You_ _ **like**_ _cooking,_ Sarah so bluntly pointed out.

Cassie smirked. "Yeah, but I figured a home-cooked meal could do these drifters some good," she said with obvious affection.

Sarah's snide comments and condescending demeanor didn't feel like jabs to Cassie like they once had. They felt more like bubbles, floating up to the surface of Cassie's consciousness and popping before they could leave the atmosphere. Cassie was aware of how constrained Sarah had felt, and despite the fact she might have to kill her in able to preserve her life with the Winchesters, she was not by any means looking forward to it.

Everything was different now that she could live simultaneously with the presence inside her.

 _Technically,_ _ **you're**_ _a presence inside of_ _ **me**_ **,** Sarah said.

"Are you going to let me cook or not?" Cassie said out loud, and to her surprise, she felt a chuckle from inside her.

Sarah didn't admit it, but watching Cassie work was actually kind of fascinating.

The Men of Letters' kitchen was well equipped with several different ovens, so Cassie could put in the chicken, corn casserole, and still have room for an apple pie later on.

She wanted to surprise them, and she figured there was no way they'd sleep any later than noon, so they could all just have an early dinner.

Without realizing it, she lost herself in the process. Despite being years out of practice, her hands were deft and quick. Basting the chicken, sprinkling crushed up Ritz crackers over the corn casserole, and then beginning the process of making a pie all brought her back to the days when her father was alive and they would do this together with her grandmother.

It filled Cassandra with a warmth she hadn't felt in a long time, and even though that sensation was stained with melancholy, it rejuvenated her nonetheless.

It was as if each motion of peeling a potato and slicing apples for a pie filling were therapeutic for her. Reliving her past, re-feeling the pains he had gone through, but moving past it.

She worked the rolling pin over the ball of crust she'd created, carefully curling the flattened bottom for the pie around the rolling pin so she could unwind it over the pan.

 _Just like grandma used to do_ , Sarah said quietly.

Cassandra didn't respond, simply continued on with the process.

She coated the apples in cinnamon, nutmeg, a dash of allspice, and of course tons of sugar. She filled the pie crust well beyond the height of the pan, then rolled the top layer of the crust over the pile of apples.

 _You should play some music. Dad always used to._

Cassie stiffened, sighing. "Yeah I know. I want to, but it might wake them up."

 _Of all the times we had to steal, you couldn't've jacked an Ipod_.

She rolled her eyes. "I only stole what we _needed_ , and we did not _need_ an Ipod."

 _Sing, then._

Cassie raised an eyebrow. "What am I, your personal jukebox?"

 _You have a nice voice and I'm bored. You used to sing with Dad, remember?_

She closed her eyes, remembering.

Christopher Trevelyan had been nothing if not a rocker. Growing up, music was everywhere, whether they were cooking in the kitchen, driving in the car or even just shopping at the grocery store, her father was always humming a song under his breath.

It was no wonder Cassandra ended up in a Choir group or that she did those same things now.

"It's weird doing it on command," Cassie said, growing nervous.

 _God, you're such a baby. Don't think about it then._

Cassie scowled, but as she was cutting slits in the top of the pie and brushing it with cream, a song came to her.

 _Loooord, I was booorn a raaambliin maaaaan,_

 _Tryin' a make a livin' and doin' the best I can_

 _And when it's tiiime for leeeaaviiin' I hope you'll understaaaand_

 _That I was booorn a raaambliiin' maaaan_

 _ **My father was a gambler down in Georgiaaaa** – _ Sarah started singing along, and Cassie started giggling as together they sang a duet only she could hear.

 _And he wound up on the wrong end of a guuuun_

 _And I was born in the back seat of a Greyhound buuuuus_

 _rollin' down highway 41!_

Surprisingly, both the girls were laughing as they sang, and I was as if Christopher were singing with them.

 _Lord I was born a rambling maaaaan_

 _Tryin' a make a livin' and doin' the beeest IIIIII caaaan_

 _When it's time for leeaviiiin, I hope you'll udnerstaaaand -_

"- That I was born a ramblin' maaaan," a deep voice suddenly said from behind her.

The spell was broken and Cassie flipped around.

But it was just the same set of eyes staring back at her as her own, with a bright smile that accompanied it.

"Hey," Cassie said, color rising to her cheeks.

"How are you, sister?" Castiel said, walking into the kitchen. He smelled the air. "You're cooking," he said with surprise.

She nodded, smiling. "It's a surprise for the guys. Merry Christmas," she said, hugging him tight.

Castiel hugged her back. "It smells great, I'm sure they'll be very happy."

Upon closer inspection Cassie saw something in Cas' eyes that hadn't been there before.

Worry.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

If anyone else had asked, he would've brushed off the question and blocked it with reassurances. But Cassie was his sister, and Angel or not, he couldn't hide anything from her.

"I'm worried about Dean," he said reluctantly.

"Is something wrong with him?"

Cas' eyes darted around the room a few times before he answered. "Last night, he and I…we…well….we were…." He cleared his throat, " _Intimate_ …"

Cassie blushed but urged him to continue. "Okay…"

"But he wasn't himself. I sensed…a darkness emanating from inside him. Eventually he snapped out of it, but I'm worried that the Mark is changing him more than he's letting on."

Cassie nodded. "I haven't seen him since they got back from the Abaddon crusade. But…maybe this surprise will put him in good spirits." She shot her brother a hopeful smile.

"Dean succeeded in defeating Abaddon," Cas said, but there was no joy in this statement, only concern.

Cassie didn't like seeing her brother like this, however. "Well…that just means we have more than one thing to celebrate."

Castiel nodded, feeling a bit better. "Yeah," he said in response. "Um…is there any way I can help you?" he asked, looking at the various bowls on the countertops, looking lost.

She giggled. "Sure. Have you ever mashed potatoes before?"

* * *

 _His dreams were filled with blood._

 _The clean, swift cuts of the First blade, the calm and power that flooded his veins like heroin._

 _Over and over, reliving the moment he finally slayed Abaddon._

 _He'd been ready to do anything._

 _To kill Crowley, slice through anyone else who had been unlucky enough to be standing in that room._

 _It felt so right, being one with the blade that granted him such peace and confidence._

 _He was strong, invincible, a well-oiled killing machine._

 _But then the blood on his hands belonged to his brother, and Cassie was on her knees at his feet, sobbing over Sam's corpse._

 _And then there was his Angel, looking so defeated and destroyed, tears of blood streaming from his eyes at the sight of what his Hunter had become._

 _A_ _ **monster**_ _._

Dean jolted awake, covered in a cold sweat, his breathing erratic.

His first instinct surprisingly was to reach across the bed to feel for his slumbering lover, but he wasn't there.

Panic struck Dean until last night's events came flooding back to him.

Something primal had overtaken him, and he shook his head in shame, remembering the encounter on the stairs.

But his thoughts were completely scattered when he realized the air was filled with scents that he hadn't encountered before in the bunker.

This combination of smells and aromas only existed in one place; the household of a happy family at holiday time.

It was the only chance a person had to encounter the smell of cinnamon, baking meat, and garlic all at the same time.

For a moment Dean lost himself, unsure of where or _when_ he actually was.

After throwing on some jeans and a T-shirt, he made his way down the hallway following the scent.

It led him to the kitchen, where Cassie was stirring various substances over the stove and Castiel was mashing what looked like potatoes.

All he could do was stare.

Food.

Real, actual food, was being made right before his eyes.

Cassie looked so sweet, all of her wavy curls pulled back in a ponytail, but a few bangs still falling in her face as she worked, simultaneously humming _Wheel in the Sky._

Castiel looked down right adorable, his brow furrowed in concentration like the world depended on whether or not he mashed those potatoes to the correct consistency.

Dean was at a loss for words.

A few moments later his resolve shook at the sound of approaching footsteps from behind him.

"What's all this?" Sam asked, a huge grin on his face.

Cassie turned around to see them both, and immediately stopped what she was doing, walking over to them. "Merry Christmas!" she exclaimed, giggling.

Sam bent down to kiss his lovely little homemaker. "You're unbelievable," he said, laughing. "It all looks great," his eyes were lit up like he was a little boy, and it was a wonderful sight to see.

"I figured decorating and putting up a tree weren't exactly on the agenda, but the least we could do is celebrate with food," she said, and her smile wavered a bit at the sight of Dean behind Sam.

He looked lost, his green eyes wide with uncertainty.

"Dean?" Castiel asked, getting up and putting the mashed potato bowl on the counter.

"I'm just…" he began, not sure what to say.

The images from his dream projected themselves over the loved ones before him. That, coupled with all the wonderful smells swirling around him, his loving Angel there in his trench coat, just like always and Cassie's sweet voice humming as she worked brought him close to tears.

He stepped forward and wrapped Cassie in a tight hug, keeping his emotions at bay. "We…don't usually have this," he admitted, not specifying what _this_ was.

But Cassandra had a feeling she knew. "I haven't had the opportunity to cook like this for family in years. It's a joy for me, honestly."

Sam's reserved anger and resentment dissolved at the sight of Dean so broken down and vulnerable. _For today, we're all just going to get along. No bad blood on a holiday like Christmas, not when Cassie put in this much work._

Sam got the record player going so they were listening to a combination of swing music and old show tunes. The rich harmonies wound their way up the ceilings and back around again, putting everyone in a good mood.

Cas, feeling a bit weak and drained, stayed sitting on an arm chair, watching his lover from a distance with a smile.

Sam set the table and popped into the kitchen every once in a while to give the chef a kiss, and Dean was hovering around the general vicinity of where the food was like a bee over their hive.

All of the food was prepared and sitting under potholders on the table by two thirty.

Everyone grabbed the portions of food that they wanted, taking a seat at the main table.

Decorum was not the word being applied to this gathering.

Sam had never been so happy to have so much starch in one sitting. "Orhmaghodd," he groaned.

Dean didn't' have the willpower to form words, but from the look on his face, Cassie could tell he liked the chicken.

She tried her best not to laugh at how enthusiastic they were.

Finally, Dean leaned back in his chair. "I'm so…so happy," he got out, grinning from ear to ear before he took a swig from his Samuel Adams.

Sam grabbed himself a beer too in celebration, and handed one to Cassie.

Castiel surprisingly took healthy portions of each platter and ate healthy doses.

Dean raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I thought you didn't like how food tasted," he said.

Cas shrugged. "My grace is weakening, I'm assuming that's why I'm craving sources of energy, like sleep and nourishment," he explained.

But this only worried Dean more about his Angel. He turned back to his food, a knot of stress weaving itself over his forehead.

Everyone at that table had an issue they harbored in their chest.

Castiel's dying, borrowed Grace,

Dean's growing Darkness.

Sam's resentment for Dean's lies.

And Cassandra's need to search for a solution to the Sarah problem.

But for now, on this day, everyone put a halt to their inner obstacles.

Today was a day for celebration.

Cassie had made it through her confrontation in one piece.

Dean successfully killed Abaddon.

Castiel was the leader of his own army against Metatron.

And Sam had a woman he loved and more miraculously, loved him back.

Everything was for once, at peace.

That is until dessert rolled around.

During dinner, Cassie had slipped the pie from inside the fridge onto the middle rack inside the oven to bake while they were eating and visiting.

Once she pulled it out, however, everyone's senses were immediately bombarded with the scent of cloves and apples.

Dean practically convulsed. "Is that…" he was barely audible.

She set the golden brown, freshly baked apple pie onto the counter to set for a bit, and then got to work whipping some heavy cream into shape so they could dollop it on top.

Dean was frozen in place, gawking.

"Dean," Sam tried to break the spell, snapping his fingers.

He didn't respond.

Cas didn't question it, knowing that Apple pie was the equivalent of cocaine to Dean Winchester.

Cassie eventually looked over to the three men and stiffened when she saw Dean blatantly staring.

"Um…" she blushed, not sure what to say.

His eyes went from the pie to Cassie. "Did you make that pie yourself?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, it's my grandma's recipe," she answered.

Dean stood up and marched straight over to the pie.

And didn't come back to the table.

"No one else is getting this pie," he glared at the remaining members of the table.

"I'm pretty sure she made that pie for _everyone,"_ Sam said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm too full to eat more anyway," Cas said, not willing to get between a man and his pie.

Cassie shot confused glances at the two brothers. "I'm missing something here."


	49. Chapter 49: Matters of the Family

Hey Guys!

First and foremost let me apologize for taking so long to update. My school life lately has been extremely hectic, and I haven't had any time for myself. I'm nervous because I got picked to perform as one of the cast members in a play ( _Eye to Eye_ ) so I have to memorize that script by the end of Spring Break (I've never been in a play before!) and on top of that, I'm also the Stage Manager for my University's Main Spring Production, _Wonder of the World_. And then of course I have my usual online courses and Essay-writing for Literature class, so unfortunately my Fanfiction stories have fallen through the cracks in these past weeks.

Unfortunately I won't be able to update as often as I'd like, (I used to pop out three or four chapters every week) but I'll make an active effort to set aside time for you guys : ).

Also quick fyi, I've started a Sherlock fanfiction (Johnlock, of course) titled Dinner Date. It was initially meant to be a one shot, but if you guys want it longer, let me know!

And now I give you, an update : 3

-Sincerely,

Alexis/XeroSanity

Chapter 49

Matters of the Family

It had been weeks of searching, but Cassandra kept coming up empty handed. The Men of Letters Bunker was a mess, open notebooks, and scattered papers covered the surface top of every table, desk, and couch in the main study.

But she couldn't for the life of her find any way that it was possible for her Grace to be harmlessly transferred to another vessel without hurting herself or Sarah.

She only took a break to train with Sam, sleep, and make coffee but then went straight back to burying her nose in books.

Sam searched with her, but despite being one among the most stubborn people on the planet, even _he_ knew when something was a lost cause.

Dean had no patience for going through paperwork, and his condition had grown steadily worse. It hadn't really affected Cassandra since she was so busy doing research but Sam noticed Dean was more irritable, less talkative and more aggressive than usual.

At first, he tried to justify it to himself by saying it was because Cas had left a day after Christmas to get back to his army, and these past few weeks without him were wearing on Dean's nerves.

But Sam was starting to see it was more than that.

He knew deep down, it was the Mark doing this to Dean.

Maybe Cas can set him straight. Sam walked off into his bedroom and closed the door, secretly dialing the significant other of his steadily declining brother.

 _"Sam,"_ Cas said with surprise. _"Is Dean alright?_ "

"No," Sam said without trying to sugar coat it. "He's been insufferable ever since you left, and it's obvious he misses you. Please tell me he can go visit you or something. I think Dean's getting stir-crazy being in the Bunker for so long and he needs a break. We all do."

 _"It's a funny coincidence you called. I was just about to dial Dean and ask you two to come to the Army's main Information Center. We need…two individuals of your… **caliber** to interrogate someone."_

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

There was a pause. _"We've managed to capture an Angel from Metatron's inner circle."_

 _Finally, the Universe is cutting us a break._ "I'll send Dean. I need to get Cassie out of here too. She's been searching aimlessly for a solution to her…um…"

 _"I understand. I'll be waiting."_ Cas hung up.

Sam exited the room, making his way up the hall to the main study.

"Good news for a change," he said to the two other occupants in the room. "Cas' followers captured a member of Metatron's inner circle, and he needs someone to go and interrogate him for information."

Dean couldn't help but grin. "Awesome. See you guys in a few days." He grabbed an already-stocked-and-supplied satchel from the floor and was out the door before Sam could blink.

Cassie giggled. "I think that's the first smile I've seen on him since Christmas," she said.

Sam scoffed. "Yeah, no kidding." Maybe it's not the mark…maybe it's just that he needed to see Cas again…

 _Or that he's really excited about the idea of beating the shit out of –_

Sam bit back that thought before it could finish itself. "And I think that's the first time I've seen _you_ look up from a piece of paper or _book_ in weeks."

Cassie blushed and looked away. "I'm just…I mean – "

" – I know, Babe, but…this is literally the Nerve center of information for the Men of Letters. If there's nothing here about how to deal with Sarah…there isn't anything _period_."

She shook her head. "We still haven't gone through all the files, and – "

" – Cassie, we both need a break." He walked over, stepping over papers to bend down to her level on the floor. "You've been cooped up underground way too long. We need to go out and do something. All this searching is taking its toll on you."

Cassie sighed, not yet wanting to give up. But she felt bad for keeping Sam cooped up along with her. "What did you have in mind?" she asked.

Sam shrugged. "Well, if you want we could try to find a case to work, it would give you more practice."

She raised an eyebrow. "I thought the main goal here was to "keep me safe and hidden" from cops and the like, since "an Angel without her mojo" is a sitting duck."

Sam held back a laugh, knowing each set of air quotations was a nod to something _Dean_ had told her. "You've really improved in the combat department. I'd say you're good to go in case we run into trouble. And any cops who'd still be looking for you are on the East Coast. They wouldn't think to be searching for you in Kansas."

Cassie's eyes filled with realization. "Wait…how are we going to get anywhere? Dean probably took the Impala."

 _Damn._ "We'll take a bus."

She nodded. "Okay. Then a case sounds good."

That was all the initiative he needed. Sam plopped down in front of his laptop and surfed the web for unusual weather patterns, cattle deaths, or anything else that wreaked of "Demon" activity.

But then suddenly his phone rang.

The two looked over at his phone, taking note of the area code. _646_.

"A New York number?" Sam looked at his phone with scrutiny, but picked it up and answered. "Hello?"

 _"Hi, is this Sam or Dean Winchester?"_

Sam glanced over at Cassie. She didn't say a word but her eyes were filled with questions. "Yeah, this is Sam."

 _"Oh, good. I…my Aunt Jodie said I should talk to you."_

 _Wait a minute…_ "Sheriff Jodie Mills?"

 _"Yes. My name is Elyse, and I've been…well…this is going to sound crazy,"_ her voice was growing more panicked, " _But my husband and I recently moved into this house in New York. And over the past few months horrible things…in this house,"_ she started to cry. _"Oh, God! My husband doesn't believe me…but I know something isn't right here. Things keep happening – "_

" – I believe you. What's been happening, Elyse?"

Cassie's heart fell in her chest. "Elyse?!" _It couldn't be…there's no way…_

 _" – I always feel like I'm being watched. Especially in the kitchen or when I go down to the basement to get something from the pantry. And…I hear people walking around at night, even when I know my husband isn't home."_

"It sounds like your house could be haunted. What's your address? I'll head over right away."

 _"934 Platt Drive. We live in Oswego."_

"New York, right? We'll get there as soon as we can." Sam hung up the phone and started typing away on his computer.

"What's going on?" Cassie asked, her eyes darting between him and the laptop as she sat on the floor.

"I'm buying us plane tickets to Albany, New York. It's the East coast, but still, nobody should be looking for you. There's a case. A woman named Elyse and her husband just moved into a new house and it sounds like they have a haunting. It's enough of a case for me." He typed a bit more, clicking on a flight. "Looks like we'll have a connecting flight in Chicago."

Cassie went very pale. "Did she ever say what her last name was?"

"No," Sam replied, his glance finally moving away from the screen, back to Cassandra. "Why, what's wrong?" but then it clicked in his head. "Don't you have a sister named Elyse?"

"Yes," Cassie said immediately. "But there's no way it could be the same one…She lived in Vermont and there have to be hundreds of Elyses in New York."

"Well…yeah, but _this_ Elyse _did_ recently move. With her husband, too. Didn't you say she'd probably be married by now?"

 _God this is crazy._ "If it _is_ her…I don't know if I can go."

"No, you are _so_ going. You've been stuck in this Bunker for weeks, researching nonstop, and if you don't get out and do something productive, you're going to go insane. Plus I'm not leaving you here by yourself."

"Dean said there were times when you two would have to work cases on your own and I'd have to stay behind." She crossed her arms, her eyes pointed at the ground.

Sam clenched his jaw. "But this is different. Whenever Dean or I ever try to work a case alone, something bad happens to us. I don't like the fact that all three of us would be separated. Cas can keep Dean in check, but I'm not going to fly halfway across the country without any backup. Plus…" he didn't say it but he gritted his teeth, pained from remembering.

 _The last time I left you here by yourself, I almost lost you, and that was even when Cas was watching over you._

"Sam?" her voice was gentle, urging him to finish.

But he didn't. "It's not happening. Whether it's your sister or not, you need this. Besides, the chances of it actually being her are a billion to one."

Cassie bit her lip. "Is there a way to check?"

Sam sighed. _Damn, she's really serious about this_. "It's not exactly _legal_ , but yeah."

After gunning down about three firewalls, he managed to find paperwork on the new owners of the house that resides on 934 Platt Drive. David & Elyse O-Hare.

A picture popped up. A very blonde, very pregnant woman stood next to a tall, cocoa-skinned man, his arms loving draped around her waist.

"Is this her?" he asked.

Cassandra stood up and peered around the corner to look at the photo.

"Oh my god," she gasped. "It's Elyse and David!"

"David? Your brother?"

"Yeah…" Cassie squinted at the picture. "She…she looks much older…she has all those lines on her face…and David got so much taller…"

"But she said she was living at the house with her husband. If that's your brother…"

Cassie blushed. "Well, technically we were all adopted. They weren't related by blood. Maybe somewhere along the way…after I left…who knows?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

Cassandra wasn't sure she wanted to go. The whole reason she left was so that they could lead happy, normal lives without having to be involved in all the deaths and pain she'd caused at the Concert Hall.

But if they were in trouble…

Cassie looked again at the warm, megawatt smile that could only be David's, and the round, pronounced belly of her younger sister.

They were family, just like Cas, Sam, and Dean. She couldn't just stand by and let them suffer.

"Let's go," she said.

Sam smiled. "I'm proud of you, Cassie."

She shrugged, sorrow pooling in her eyes. "I destroyed their lives. Maybe this is an opportunity for me to fix things so they can finally be happy."

She walked off down the hall so she could pack.

While she was packing, Sam arranged to have them hitch a Greyhound bus to Wichita, then from there depart from Wichita airport where they'd fly into their connecting flight at O'Hare, then finally arrive in Albany International. The ride to Wichita would be three hours, the flight seven, and then they had a drive ahead of them once they hit Albany.

Oswego was two and a half hours away from Albany.

In less than fifteen minutes Cassie was out with her backpack, coat and boots on, ready to go. "Oh shit…we're going on a plane." She realized.

Sam groaned. "Please don't tell me you have a fear of flying too…" He'd feel like shit.

Cassie raised an eyebrow. "Who has a fear of flying?"

Sam felt a rush of relief, then broke out into a wide grin. "Dean," he said, looking up at her with mischief-filled eyes.

Cassie gaped open-mouthed. "NO! Vamp ganking, ghost-busting Muscular-Mayhem Dean Winchester deals with paranormal shit and his fear is _flying_?"

Sam bit his lip, trying not to milk this for his brother's sake. "Uh-huh."

She smiled and then had an epiphany. "That's why you guys drive everywhere."

Sam laughed. "Yup." It was one of the few things he had over his older brother.

"I mean I don't blame him…being in a confined metal tube thousands of miles in the air could be scary if you think about it…" her eyes met his. "How are we going to take our weapons? Don't we have to go through security?"

"Shit." _She's right_. Sam rubbed his temple between his thumb and middle finger. "That's the _other_ reason we always drive."

But then Cassie winked, filled with her own little bit of mischief. "It won't be much of a problem." She held up her wrist.

 _The watch. Of course._ At least they wouldn't be completely defenseless. But still…"You need iron to fight ghosts. I'll have to call Elyse back and tell her stock up on salt and fire-pokes."

Cassie laughed but it was a nervous one.

He slammed his laptop shut, putting it in his bag. "I'll pack a bag and then we'll start walking to the bus station."

After they were both ready to go, stocked with money and the weapons they could conceal or pass off as ordinary items, they locked up the Bunker, put their hoods up and trudged through the snow, hand in hand to make it to the Bus station on time. It was cold and snow was still falling, but with Sam, Cassie felt completely safe.

With him, she could face anyone and anything.

She was ready to pay her family a long-overdue hello.


	50. Chapter 50: Departure

Chapter 50

Departure

Once the couple had stepped up onto the Greyhound and found their seats, Sam dialed Dean, quickly briefing him on the situation and telling him to meet up with them in Oswego after he'd wrapped up the interrogation with Castiel so they could all drive back together.

After that, he shot Elyse a text, telling her to stock up on salt and items made of pure iron. She asked why, and he simply recommended she do a little research regarding poltergeists.

The tired Burnette rested for a bit on Sam's shoulder his arm wrapped securely around her as she snuck in a nap.

* * *

Cassie hadn't flown in a plane for quite some time, but she remembered the drill. The entire ordeal that takes place to get on a plane is not something someone ever forgets.

Newbies might show up to an airport an hour before their plane is expected to leave, thinking they have more than enough time. But counting the time it takes to find the correct terminal, check in your luggage, make it through security, and then find your gate in time, a wise flyer knows to give themselves between 2-3 hours to make their flight, with barely a minute to spare.

Sam had to learn that the hard way when he'd tried to board a plane to California so he could enroll at Stanford.

He was surprised when Cassie already had her boots unlaced and off her feet before they'd even made it to the head of the security line, but then her face paled.

"What's wrong?" Sam said into her ear quietly, his eyes instinctively scanning their surroundings in seconds.

"I don't have any I.D.," she said.

But Sam smiled and ducked fished out of his coat pocket a driver's license, placing it discreetly into her hand.

She looked down at it, perplexed.

It was _her_. A picture of her face next to a name she didn't recognize.

 _Danielle Tyler._

 _22._

It was a driver's license from the state of California.

Sam shrugged. "It was going to be your Christmas present, but it hadn't been finished in time…I had one commissioned when I figured out you'd be staying with us."

She beamed. "Wow, this is…" she couldn't help but give Sam a quick hug and a kiss on his cheek as she reached up on her tiptoes. "Thank you so much."

He blushed, running his hand through his hair. "It's a necessity. I have one too. It's safer."

Cassandra took a deep breath and willed herself to be calm once it was her turn to hand over her ticket and license.

Her heart pounded in her chest.

The police officer looked at it, then ran it through the scanner along with her boarding pass.

 _Shit_. Her hands grew sweaty and she didn't dare breathe.

After what felt like an eternity, the guard finally handed back her driver's license and boarding pass.

He motioned for her to go forward. After she'd passed the guard, Cassie let out the deep breath she'd been holding.

Sam squeezed her hand in reassurance. "See? It's okay."

Cassie nodded, squeezing his hand back. She placed her backpack, shoes, coat, watch and necklace all in the buckets that went through the double-sided conveyer.

Her heart stopped when she heard a beeping.

The two other officers manning the human scanning panels walked over and inspected the bag.

 _Oh God, I forgot_ , Cassie internalized her panic but she was completely frozen. Sam was putting his boots back on as he glanced at the bucket containing Cassie's backpack.

"Miss, is this your bag?" the officer asked.

 _Play innocent_ , Sarah said.

Cassandra gave them a megawatt smile. "Yeah. Is my bag the one that made the weird noise?"

"Yeah," he said deadpan.

She felt her chest tightening up with fear. _Crap this is bad what do I_ –

 _-What would Dean do?_ Sarah whispered at her.

Cassie was suddenly struck with a bolt of inspiration.

 _He'd bullshit his way out._ "Ohhh it's probably the Suan Ywe Gou, I have."

The two officers looked at each other in confusion.

 _I have an idea_ , she thought back to Sarah. She looked at them as if she expected them to know what it is. "You know, the Japanese blades that are sometimes referred to as Ninja Stars? Like from _Afro Samurai?"_

They still looked at her with blank stares.

" _Katanagatari? Ninja scroll? Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto?!_ "

They looked even more confused.

She scoffed, immediately projecting a California-surfer persona. "Dudes, I can't _believe_ you! You don't watch any anime?!"

The one officer finally understood. "Oh you're one of those people that dress up or something," he rolled his eyes.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm a cosplayer! _Duh_."

Sam stood stock still, bewildered by Cassie's speed to adapt to the situation and weave a cover of such intricacy.

They opened her bag and found the weapon.

She continued smiling though, even after they had pulled it out. "Yeah, that! See? It's just a prop though…it's not real," she assured them, picking up the blade and then pretending to pose with it in various" ninja-esque" positions.

The officer eyed her suspiciously. "Well, real or not, I'm afraid I can't let you take that on an aircraft."

 _Shit. What do I do?_

 _Keep it going, try to convince them_ , Sarah assured her. _Do NOT get our asses in jail._

She pretended to feel anguished at the news. "Aaaw come on, pleeeease? I _need_ it. My costume's basically a bunch of black fabric and a belt without that thing. It makes the entire look come to life! And the best costume gets to kiss Nanae Chrono on New Year's!"

"Who's that?" the second officer asked out of curiosity.

"The writer of _Peacemaker Kurogane_ , obviously," Cassie countered.

Sam held back a smile. _Wait…is my girlfriend a_ _ **fan girl**_ _?_

The officer smirked. "There's a convention? _This_ time of year?"

"Hell _yeah_ , man! Look it up, it's in New York during December all the way up until January 1st!"

For the hell of it, and probably for his own personal amusement, the officer typed it in the search bar in his IPhone. "Yeah, there's a convention going; on. Somewhere Upstate."

The two officers walked off and delegated.

"She's obviously harmless, and the thing isn't even real," the one guy said.

"It _looks_ pretty real to me," officer two countered.

"Well _yeah,_ but they have to peace-bind weapons once they go to a convention, to ensure everyone's safety."

Officer two raised an eyebrow. "Well, when she's _on the plane_ it's not exactly peace bound, is it?"

"We can give her an escort just to be safe and have the flight attendants keep an eye on her as a precaution, but I really don't think this is anything we need to worry about. She's obviously not a terrorist. Plus she's right…I mean it really _would_ make the outfit – "

" – How do you know so much about this stuff, anyway?"

He cleared his throat. "I have a… _sister_ who…she does this kind of stuff. She dresses up as Sailor Moon every year for a con in - "

"- Alright alright alright, I don't even know what that is and I don't need to know. I guess we can let it slide this time." He gave his partner a weird look, like this entire time he thought he'd been one person, only to discover he was someone else entirely.

They both turned back to face Cassandra. "You're going to have an escort take you on the plane and a flight attendant monitoring you, but you may proceed."

She smiled and bowed, sensually saying " _Arigato_."

A red hue started to form on the back of the officer's neck and his cheeks, but he simply averted his eyes and waved her through.

 _Nice going, Sherlock, now there's gonna be a cop on your tail the whole time. Plus your face is going to be known, which means they might end up recognizing you as Cassandra O'Hare, the fifteen-year-old who killed dozens of people –_

 _-Please please please PLEASE shut up,_ Cassie mentally begged.

But Sarah was right. They were going to be watched the entire time. How were they going to slip away?

She glanced over at Sam but then smiled when she saw on his face that the gears in his head were already turning. Then she noticed the sparkle in the corner of his pupil and the dimples that threatened to surface.

He had a plan.

Once they had their bags and shoes, the one officer followed close behind. Sam tucked his boarding pass inside the pocket of his jacket, and somehow, Cassie knew that was a hint for her to do the same.

She looked up at him as they walked, searching for an answer.

He simply shot her a half smile, then nodded briefly over at a gate they had approached.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw it.

 _G5? But we're supposed to go to Gate D9…_

A lightbulb went off.

But the _officer_ doesn't know that, he just knows they're boarding a plane.

He doesn't know which gate is actually theirs.

 _That's why Sam hid the boarding passes._

"Hey Babe, can you watch my stuff while I take a leak quick? I don't wanna have to maneuver through people on the plane," Sam said, quickly giving her a gentle kiss and setting down his bag in front of her.

"Sure, no problem," she was jittery and nervous but went along with whatever was going on.

The cop shot him a look, unsure of what to do. Standard protocol for an escort would be to stand watch in the restroom while Sam was "taking care of business," but then that left the weapon-yielding girl by herself.

Not a good idea.

Plus it's not like there was anything he could do while in the bathroom. He was leaving his bag behind. If he wanted to plant a bomb or some other weapon somehow concealed in his bag, it would be under the watch of a cop, not out of sight.

Everything checked out.

"I'll stay here. Make it quick, your plane is going to board in 7 minutes."

Cassie bit her lip _. Actually, our_ _ **real**_ _plane is going to start boarding in **five** minutes and it's two minutes from where we are now if we run. _

What on Earth was Sam doing?

* * *

Sam wasted no time ducking into the bathroom and wiping out a generic cellular phone he'd purchased in the Airport's general store and dialing 911.

" _911, what's your emergency?"_ The lady on the line chimed.

"Yes, hello, I need to warn you of an imminent threat to Wichita Airport. There is a vehicle containing heavy explosives in the parking lot of Terminal 6 that is scheduled to go off in twenty minutes."

" _Oh my – What is your name, Sir?"_

He hung up before the cops could trace the call, and just in case they did, he broke the flip phone in half, cleaned it off with water under the sink and dropped it, wrapped in a paper towel in the garbage, then stepped out.

It should take seconds for them to respond, and then Cassandra could make a break for it.

He started to head towards the gate, hoping she'd know what to do.

Otherwise, he'd end up over seven hundred miles away from her.

* * *

Cassie was puzzled when the walkie-talkie attached to the officer's hip started going off. He glanced away from her to pick it up and talk into it.

"We have a possible 10-79, all units must respond," the voice said.

"Shit, this is just not my day," the cop sighed. He glanced over at Cassandra. "You might not be able to board your plane _at all_ ," he said.

But Cassie knew Sam had something to do with this.

He didn't budge from his spot but then another cop appeared, pulling at the officer's arm. "What the _hell_ , man, didn't you hear? There's a code 10-79, we all have to go to Terminal 6's parking lot."

That was her chance. Cassie grabbed Sam's bag and turned away, starting to walk casually like she wasn't associated with the cop at all. Once she was out of their sights, she bolted for gate D7.

She was in Group 3, the last group to get boarded.

Hopefully, she had enough time.

"I can't just go, I was assigned to escort a woman to her gate, she's carrying a - "

"-yeah, _okay._ Just because you actually have to _do your job_ for once – "

" – I'm serious!"

"Well then, where is this woman, you're talking about?"

"What do you mean, she's – " The cop turned around, but then paled.

Cassie was gone.

* * *

Sam's eyes darted around the sitting area, praying Cassie would get the hint and make it there.

Once all airport personnel had been warned, they wouldn't let any planes go in or out of the airport.

They needed to board their flight before that happened.

They were still boarding Group 2 when Cassie finally made it there, out of breath. Once she spotted Sam she rushed over but made it look like she didn't know him, letting her eyes wander idly elsewhere.

"Put your hair up and put this on," he whispered, handing her a blue beanie.

She gathered up all her curls and quickly and securely put the hat on, perplexed.

"From behind, no one will recognize you."

She wasn't going to take any chances. She maybe had seconds before the cop figured out she'd bolted, and he'd been looking for her at each gate.

She couldn't wait, she had to get on the plane _now._

She walked up to the flight attendant woman, biting her lip. "Hi miss, I'm sorry I know my group isn't boarding for another few minutes but may I please go? I think I've started my period and I feel it running down my leg and there's no way I'll make it back here from -"

The flight attendant just laughed at her "panic," and took her boarding pass, quickly scanning it, and then waving her along. "Go ahead, sweetheart. I've been there, too."

"Thank you _so_ much, you're so sweet," she said gratefully, then walked briskly down the long tube that went to the entrance of the plane.

Sam stayed behind, waiting for Group 3 to get called. He had to try very hard to contain a smile.

Dean had been the only person in his life who if they had to whip up a story on the fly, or get out of a tight situation, they each knew what to do without having to say it and they could get their stories to match up perfectly without once consulting each other.

But somehow, he'd found that same magic in Cassie.

He couldn't believe it.

She had flawlessly snuck her way past security, found a way to get on the plane and all while having an excuse to be rushed about it.

He was completely and utterly stunned.

And now for the icing on the cake.

He turned away and called 911 again, this time using a different voice and one of the phones that belonged to his FBI alias.

 _"911, what's your emergency?"_

"Yes, this is Agent Fuller of Unit 7426 and I'm calling to inform you that a bomb threat was received a few moments ago by the Wichita airport personnel, but it was proved by the authorities to be a false alarm. The call is currently being tracked to find the source of the threat and possibly take into custody the perpetrator who made the false claim. I would appreciate it if you could alert everyone that there is in fact no threat to the public."

 _"Of course, Sir."_

He hung up before any questions could be asked, and tucked his phone back in his pocket moments before Group 3 was called to board.

He got there first, calmly handing over his boarding pass to be scanned, then stepped into the tube to board the plane.

The officer had run right past them seconds after the tips of Sam's hair had disappeared down the hall.

* * *

Once he found his seat next to Cassie, he slumped down and couldn't stop smiling.

"How'd I do?" Cassie asked, also out of breath.

Sam laughed. "How the hell…you're amazing," he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

She kissed him back, and only took off her hat once the planet started moving.

"How'd you know so much about all that anime stuff?" he finally thought to ask.

She shrugged. "Dean started to get me into it."

Sam's eyes widened, unbelieving. "Oh."

* * *

O'Hare was much larger than the airport in Wichita but they managed to find their next gate and even fit a meal in before they had to board their connecting flight.

From there they both slept the entire time.

When their plane finally landed, it was two in the morning.

He grabbed their shared suitcase from baggage claim and then led Cassie outside to a line of taxis.

Sam didn't have the heart or the energy to get a cab to drive them another two to three hours to Elyse's house so he decided to check them into a nearby motel. After signing the paperwork and carrying up Cassie and their belongings, he locked the door, salted the windows and collapsed onto the bed beside her.

Before passing out, he quickly sent a text to Elyse, asking if she could drive to Albany to come get them.

Her reply was instant and chilling.

 _I'm already on my way. I can't be in the house it's getting worse._


	51. Chapter 51: Choices

Chapter 51

Choices

Dean leaned back in the chair he was strapped to, not even able to spit on the Angels who did this to him due to the duct tape over his mouth.

He didn't stab and kill Tessa, she'd pushed herself onto his blade.

Nonetheless, her death brought relief to his growing bloodlust.

But now, all he wanted was his angel.

Castiel would understand.

He'd believe him. Dean could never have killed Tessa, even after discovering she was a member of the Suicide Squad.

Blood trickled down the side of Dean's head and down from his nose, hot and cold at the same time, an unwelcome but familiar sensation on his skin.

It wouldn't be long.

Dean's head went up at the sound of a turning knob and the door bursting open. Castiel's sky blue eyes were haunted with worry and shock at the sight of Dean, beaten and tied down. He didn't hesitate to step forward, his eyes never leaving Dean once even as Hanna was talking. Another angel stood outside the door, keeping watch.

"He put up a fight – " she began, as if to explain the obstacles she overcame before triumphing over Dean Winchester.

But then Hanna stopped when she realized Castiel wasn't listening.

He hadn't given her so much as a sideways _glance._

His eyes were only for Dean.

"Get out," Cas' gravelly voice was commanding but not angry.

Hannah stiffened, hurt that Cas was not only refusing to acknowledge the accomplishment of Dean's successful detainment, but acting as though she'd done something _wrong_. She could tell from his voice that she, his most trusted soldier and companion was, in that moment, nothing more than a child who'd made a huge mess he had to clean up.

Once she'd closed the door behind her, Cas rushed over to Dean and gingerly did his best to peel off the duct tape without inflicting any additional pain.

Once it was off Dean simply smirked and said, "You should'a seen the other ten guys."

 _You idiot_ , he thought. Cas' mouth immediately descended onto Dean's as he cupped his face in the palms of his cool, smooth hands.

Dean sighed into the kiss, reciprocating Cas' urgency and fervor.

After a few moments of their lips dancing against each other, reminiscing in the physical contact, Cas reluctantly pulled away and started to unshackle Dean from his handcuffs. "They say you killed Tessa?" He asked gently, unbelieving.

Dean shook his head, rubbing his wrists as soon as they were free. "Not so much." The hand cuffs clattered to the ground. "She knifed herself."

"But how? Hannah said she confiscated your Angel blade so you couldn't – " But when Dean's face fell, Cas knew.

 _Oh my God_. "You brought the First Blade," he muttered, barely audible. Cas stood back up, taking a few steps away from Dean.

Dean's heart fell into his stomach at the sight of Cas' withdrawal. "Angel – "

" – Why would you bring it?! Do you have any idea what kind of an effect it's having on you?! Are you the _only one_ who doesn't see it?!"

Dean was expecting to hear the tone that a parent would use when lecturing their child.

But there was only agony and pain in Cas' voice. Like he was _afraid_.

Afraid _for_ Dean?

Or afraid _of_ him?

Dean shoved down the anguish that threatened to surface. "Cas, I swear I didn't kill Tessa. She was saying all kinds of crazy crap before she did herself in. Since Heaven's locked, souls can't get in, and she's had to hear their confusion and pain and even screaming – "

" – I don't know _what_ to believe anymore. I was overjoyed to see you after being away from you for so long, but you've changed, Dean."

Cas wasn't even looking at him. Dean stood up, marching over to Cas and taking him in his arms, forcing him to gaze into his eyes.

But his blue eyes were clouded with hurt and uncertainty.

"The night you came home from destroying Abaddon….that moment in the hallway – "

" – That was a fluke, okay? That was _weeks_ ago. I don't know what came over me, I told you I was – "

" – That was _nothing_ like anything we'd ever done before, and you know it. It was more than being "overcome with passion." You couldn't _control_ yourself, Dean!" Now the lecturing tone was back.

Dean flinched, the memories rushing back to him. It's not like it hadn't felt good for Cas too, but it was nothing Dean would ever have had the gumption to do before. He vividly remembered getting up and grabbing a beer like fucking the hell out of Cas had been nothing. Just ten minutes on the treadmill.

Cas swallowed, averting his eyes. "I may not be very experienced, but I know the difference. What happened that night, between us…what you did to me…there wasn't any love in that. That wasn't making love. That was _fucking_."

Dean blushed, bewildered at hearing the normally calm and level headed angel use such profanity. "M-making…" He couldn't finish the question. _Making love? That's what…_ _ **couples**_ _do._

Cas rolled his eyes. "For God's sake, Dean, we've been physically intimate, we share a bed, we've spent the night together on more than one occasion, shared meals together…all of that on top of the fact _I raised you from perdition_ – "

" – Oh, come on! Not _that_ again, you can't keep pulling that card on me – "

" – WE'RE TOGETHER, OKAY?!"

Dean for once, was speechless.

Cas shook his head. "I love you. I've known you for years, I know when something about you is off, and I _know_ it's because of that damn – "

" – Cas," Dean began, gently cupping his Angel's cheek and planting a soft kiss on his lips. "I'm only keeping this mark and _Excalibur_ here until we take out Metatron."

Cas blushed, his resolved weakened by Dean's tenderness. "That's what you said about Abaddon," he protested.

Dean shook his head. "Even with an army backing you up, you can't fight this alone. You've always been there for me and Sam, now it's time I return the favor."

Cas finally made eye contact with Dean, leaning up slightly to kiss him again before saying, "Don't lose yourself in the process."

Cas knew deep down telling Dean to have any sense of self-preservation would be a fruitless endeavor. No matter what it took, even if it meant Dean losing his life, he'd get the job done. Dean grinned. "I'm in for the long haul. You know that."

Cas huffed, unable to help but smile. _Yeah right._

Dean cleared his throat. "So…we're…I mean, this is…." _We're dating?_

They both jumped and pulled away from each other at the sound of the giant metal door opening. Hannah emerged and simply said, "Commander, I'm sorry but…" she looked between the two of them, confused. "You have a call…from Metatron." 

* * *

Cassie was in a flurry, pacing around the hotel room. Sam couldn't help but smile.

For the first time since she'd disappeared, Cassandra was actually going to see her family.

Six years of silence. For all they knew, she could be dead or worse.

She was, unfortunately, _worse._

 _What the hell am I even supposed to say? Hi, sis, sorry it's been so long, I just decided to leave so my supernatural powers couldn't hurt you or our big bro. You see, I'm actually an Angel possessing a human named Sarah and she's the worst roommate ever. Lately, I've been trying to find a way to help in the Angel Civil War, become the Oracle of Team Helsing and all while searching for a way to de-possess Sarah without dying. Oh, and did I mention I'm dating a really tall, sexy badass monster hunter and living with him, his brother, and his Angel boyfriend (who also happens to be my brother) in a fortress underground in the middle of nowhere?_

Yeah…she was screwed.

Sam watched as she'd switched her shirt three different times, stared in the bathroom mirror for five minutes as if contemplating the Universe and changed her hair style from ponytail to down to messy bun to loose braid –

"Cassie, stop," Sam finally said, holding her in place. "You look fine."

"She's going to be so _mad_ at me," she said into his chest. "She's not gonna believe – "

" – She'll be thrilled to see you," Sam reassured her.

She finally settled on her signature red flannel shirt with a black tank top underneath, dark wash jeans and thigh high black boots that Dean had given her.

Her hair was down.

Sam pulled his phone out of his pocket when he felt it buzz against his leg.

He looked down at the screen. "She's here."

Cassie swallowed.

Sam took her hand in his, kissing the top of her head gently. "You ready?"

"No," she admitted, but was the first to walk over to the motel door and walk out into the parking lot.

What she saw stunned her.

She was frozen in place.

In front of her was Elyse, her dearest, kind, warm hearted sister.

But she looked nothing like the fresh young vixen that had been happy and bubbly in the photograph.

She was pale, and her hair was messy as if she hadn't bothered to brush it. There were bags under her eyes as dark as Cassie's boots and although it had only been six years, Elyse seemed to have aged twenty.

At first, Elyse didn't process the sight in front of her, but then her eyes widened in shock.

Cassie took a shuddery breath, her face holding all of the shame and sadness she'd felt at leaving her family. "Elyse – "

But the blonde woman immediately burst into tears, unable to move.

Sam stepped out, immediately rushing over to Elyse. "It's okay, this is my girlfriend, C – "

" – Cassandra?" Elyse choked out her name. Despite the fact she had a swollen belly she was at Cassie's side in a flash, gawking at her face. "You're okay…" she said in wonder and confusion.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"We had no idea where…why did you…" Elyse was so filled with questions she didn't know which ones to ask first.

Cassie bent her head low, afraid to face her. _God, she must hate me. I left her and David without a word. At sixteen years old, I let them face their pain alone. For years I wandered the country, letting them think I was –_

Elyse encircled Cassie in a tight embrace. She gasped, not expecting the physical contact, and her eyes brimmed with tears. The young blonde stroked Cassie's hair as if attempting to comfort _her_.

She even _smelled_ the same, that same mix of lavender and wood smoke.

What the house that she'd shared with her adoptive family smelled like.

In that tight hug with an extra occupant, suddenly Cassie was thrown six years back in time and she was sixteen years old again.

She was once again that shy teenage girl who'd been yelled at to get her butt to school because she'd stayed up all night reading instead of going to sleep.

Cassie's eyes met Sam's over Elyse's shoulders, and Sam shot her a warm smile as if to say, _I told you. Family is family._

In the end, love had prevailed. Time, Distance, lies and secrecy meant nothing to family.

Cassie closed her eyes, hugged Elyse back as if they hadn't skipped a beat and the past six years had been nothing. "I have so much to tell you," Cassie whispered brokenly, letting the tears fall.

Elyse nodded. "Me too," she said just as quietly, rocking Cassie back and forth. "Welcome home."

* * *

Sam offered to drive Elyse's car on the two hour ride back, and she acquiesced. And in the space of her little Toyota Corolla, Elyse began her story.

"David and I got married six months ago. Frank offered to have us stay with him of course since we were a young couple just starting out and I had a baby on the way, but David thought it'd be best if we tried standing on our own two feet."

"I can't believe you two got _married_ ," Cassie said, holding her sister's hand. "What should I call him? Bro? Bro-in-law?"

Elyse laughed weakly. "Just David should be fine."

"How'd you move into the house in Oswego?" Sam asked, not taking his eyes off the road.

Elyse sighed. "David couldn't believe it. It was a brand new house in mint condition and the price for it was cheaper than most of the apartments elsewhere that were up for _rent._ "

"Didn't you ever wonder why it was so cheap?" Cassie asked.

Elyse sighed. "No, I didn't think to. If the house had seemed too good to be true, then I would have. But I knew the house wasn't perfect. David would have to quit his job and find one in Oswego, we couldn't stay in Vermont, we didn't know the area, it was five miles from the nearest grocery store or movie theatre, but…" she trailed off, and her eyes changed as if she were seeing the house in front of her. "It was such a huge, strong, beautiful house…it looked like it had been pulled out of a story book. There was a small room that was just off of the bedroom I'd share with David so I wouldn't be too far from the baby, the wrap around porch meant children could play while I kept an eye on them, the kitchen overlooked a beautiful lake…"

"It _does_ sound too good to be true," Cassie mumbled.

Elyse' body tensed. "It had seemed the perfect place to raise a family. We moved in, David found a really great job a few miles away as an English Teacher, and things really seemed to be looking up. But a few weeks later, that's when it started happening."

The hair on Cassie's neck stood on end. "What?" she asked.

Sam was committing everything she said to memory.

"It was little things at first. Creaking floorboards like someone was walking around, closing doors, windows would be open even if I hadn't remembered opening them, and stuff in the house was going missing, like David's car keys or my perfume."

Cassie's stomach started to hurt as a knot of stress formed.

"In the beginning, this happened all the time. During the day, during the night, it didn't matter. But now it always happens at two different times _exclusively_ : eight o'clock exactly, and then between midnight and three in the morning. For the longest time, I thought the footsteps I was hearing were just the sounds of David coming into the door from work. He gets done at four but it takes about an hour to get home and sometimes after work he stays late to get a drink with the other teachers."

"But then what?" Sam asked.

Elyse cleared her throat, trying to keep her emotions in check. "But…it turned out that David was coming home _early_. He'd be passed out downstairs by seven. School gets out at two, he'd grade his papers until four and then not have any work when he got home so he'd just go to sleep. He didn't want to wake me so he'd sleep downstairs."

Cassie rubbed her thumb over Elyse's hand reassuringly. "It's okay, tell me what else happened," she prompted gently.

Elyse took a deep breath, her eyes getting misty. "I didn't start to think something was wrong until David went away on Halloween weekend for a Horror-Literature convention. There wasn't a chance he'd even _stop at the house_ for anything."

Elyse's grip on Cassie's hand tightened and she knew it was going to get bad.

"In the middle of the night, there was loud banging, like someone was opening and closing a door over and over really hard. Lights were turning on and off by themselves, and it got deathly cold in a matter of seconds. I kept hearing whispering voices and other voices were screaming…I thought I was having a nightmare, but I was awake, and then I thought I was going crazy…"

Cassie stiffened. To her, it _sounded_ like a nightmare, and she felt awful that Elyse had to go through something like that.

She started to sob. "I tried to tell David when he got back, but he didn't believe me. He summed it up to getting spooked since it was Halloween. "You probably just fell asleep to a scary movie on the television or something," he said. But I knew I wasn't crazy."

Cassie nodded. She knew now more than anyone what went bump in the night, and that Elyse wasn't the first or the last victim of ghostly activity. "Okay," she said quietly. "Then what?"

Elyse sighed, wiping her tears off. "I called Aunt Jodie because I needed someone to talk to. I didn't want to worry Dad, and I thought maybe another woman might have a non-biased opinion. Most guys I'd confronted about it just chalked it up to paranoia and an imbalance of hormones since I'm pregnant."

"Ugh," Cassie rolled her eyes. "What did Aunt Jodie say?"

"She said she knew just the boys to fix something like this, and then she gave me a number that she told me could be used to contact two brothers called the Winchesters, Sam and Dean." Her eyes shifted over to Sam.

"And here we are," he finished quietly.

"But…how are _you_ with the Winchesters? Where have you _been_ all this time? Why didn't you ever come back?" Elyse asked Cassie.

Cassie sighed. "Remember the Concert Hall at our school? What happened?"

"Yeah, people say…well they say…." Her expression changed. "They say _you_ did it. That you bombed it or something."

Cassie shivered. "I didn't. It was an accident, I never meant to hurt anyone but…but after it happened, I couldn't stay in Middlebury. I didn't want my family to have to deal with cops hovering over our house, being interrogated and questioned for something _I'd_ done. I…I didn't want to hurt you any more than I already had."

"So you left, thinking you'd take the problem with you," Elyse finished, but her expression was grim. "Well, that was dumb."

Cassie gaped open-mouthed. "Dumb? I didn't want to drag my family into my mess!"

"You think we didn't have cops around our house after you left? Whoa, nelly it was the opposite. A sixteen year old minor going missing after a "terrorist" bombing? _Of course_ we were questioned! " _Where is your sister? Did she tell you that she was planning something like this? Would she have any inclination to kill civilians?_ " It was a **disaster** , Cassie. You leaving made things _so_ much worse. It got to the point where our family was being blamed for your disappearance. All kinds of crazy theories started popping up. The newspapers were writing articles about us for _months."_

Cassie shook her head, holding her face in her hands. "God dammit," she muttered.

"Don't use his name in vain like that," Elyse scolded, but Cassie immediately glared at her.

" _Fuck_ God and everything he stands for! He doesn't give a damn about anyone, 'lyse, _especially_ not us."

"Cassandra! How could you say that?!"

"How could he let something like this happen to you and David?!" Cassie countered.

"Ladies," Sam interjected, clearing his throat. "Elyse, it sounds like you have an infestation."

"An infestation of…what?" Elyse swallowed nervously.

"Ghosts. I thought maybe you had a poltergeist but it sounds like there's more than one ghost haunting your house."

Cassie's gaze softened as she caught Elyse's worried expression. "But how is that possible? She said the house is brand new, and the realtors have to state everyone who's died in the house."

"It might not be the house exactly," Sam said quietly, going through the possibilities in his head. "It could be an object in the house – "

" – But she has an _infestation_. Dozens of ghosts can't all attach themselves to the same object."

Sam sighed. "Well, no, but…I dunno. I'll do some background information on the house before we go in it."

Cassie was mentally flipping through the files she'd read at the Bunker on ghost hauntings. "Maybe…there were haunted objects used to build the house, like old pipes or even the stairwell or – "

" – How do you know about ghosts and monsters and stuff anyway?" Elyse interrupted. She was staring at her sister like she was a stranger. "How'd you get mixed up in all this? Why are _you_ here when Aunt Jodie told me to call _them_?"

Cassie groaned.

 _This is going to be a_ _ **long**_ _car ride,_ Sarah grumbled.

Cassie tried to remember and then summarize the past six years before continuing. "I…After what happened, I ran away. I drifted from town to town. If one of the residents became too inquisitive of me, or there was even a _chance_ I'd be recognized, I bolted until it was safe again and then I'd settle. After six years of this, I eventually made my way to Kansas…and well…a lot of what happened next was matters of circumstance."

Elyse shook her head as if trying to clear it of confusion. "How did you destroy the Concert Hall? If it was an accident…"

Cassie bit her lip, grabbing for Sam's hand as he drove, squeezing it for extra strength.

"Because…I'm an Angel of the Lord."

* * *

"He's lying," Castiel immediately defended himself against the venomous words of Metatron.

Dean walked over to stand next to his lover. There wasn't a trace of doubt in his expression. Cas slumped his shoulders, relieved.

"About the Grace?" Hanna said through pursed lips, cocking her head to one side as she looked to her commander, expecting an answer.

 _Damn._ He hesitated before responding. "It's complicated," he said, trying to figure out how he could get his point across.

Another angel responded, "So he isn't lying…"

 _Son of a bitch,_ Cas thought, in the words of Dean Winchester. "He _was_ about everything else. He – " Cas began, but then saw the looks on all their faces. Their expressions held resentment and distrust.

At the very least Hanna had to believe him. He looked to her. "You believe me, don't you?" he asked.

Hanna stepped forward and sighed. "I want to believe you, but I…" Cas stared at her in disbelief. How could they all just _believe_ Metatron? After everything he's done, their taking his word as _gospel?_

Even though his word _was_ gospel at some point _technically_.

Hanna looked towards the faces of her fellow soldiers, then back at Cas. "We need proof," she said with finality.

"Name it," Css said without hesitation.

But with the same level of conviction, Hanna's gaze went to Dean. "Punish him," her voice was cutting.

Dean's expression filled with confusion. "What?"

"He murdered Tessa," Hanna tried to back up her claim. She was reaching for anything to devalue Dean Winchester, the human that Castiel had obvious affection for.

 _Why him? Why some human instead of one of us, his loyal followers? Why not…me?_ She couldn't help the thought from forming.

"He broke our rules," she added for good measure, but before she could finish Dean cut her off to her disgruntlement and simply said with a good natured smile, "Ya'll can go to hell."

"Dean," Cas protested when Dean started walking away but he didn't get very far.

Two angels grabbed Dean by his jacket, limiting his movement. "Hey, what the –" but he was shoved into the hands of the soldiers in a vice grip, unable to move.

"You gave us order, Castiel, and we gave you our trust," Hanna continued. It felt good to be in power for once, holding more moral superiority than Dean, who Cas seemed to hold in such high regard. _You can't like him anymore. He killed one of our own, and no one can get away with such a crime_. Hanna felt that Dean was finally at the mercy of their law.

Even a Winchester couldn't defy an entire army.

But Dean's eyes were locked on the blue eyed trench-coat clad angel, the intense green with tints of brown more than enough to distract Cas from Hanna's "riveting" condemnation.

Hanna's eyes darting to Dean, then back at Cas. "Don't lose it over _one man_ ," she insisted, suddenly realizing she didn't have the high ground she thought she did.

In one final attempt, Hanna pulled out the Angel blade she had confiscated from Dean earlier and held it out to Castiel. "This is justice," she said with stirring conviction.

But all Cas could think about was the way Dean tasted, and the sensation of skin against skin in the backseat of the Impala.

The intimate moment they'd shared the morning after their first night together, the variations of green in Dean's eyes.

What finally snapped him out of his reverie was the dozens of angels all staring at him, all waiting for him to prove his reliance and loyalty to their cause.

Cas' gaze shifted to Dean's and he took a sharp intake of breath when he saw the horror and fear there.

Dean mistook Cas' silence for contemplation of whether or not to do it.

The most horrifying thing for Dean was the fact that Cas had every right to punish him. He'd taken advantage of Castiel the night he came home from the slaying of Abaddon. He'd wrecked Cas' body for his own pleasure and let the darkness from the Mark of Cain begin to consume him. And Dean was just a human. It didn't make sense for Castiel to sacrifice the life of one fuck up for an entire army when every Angel counted in the War against Metatron.

His eyes flooded with acceptance and dejection, knowing what was coming when he saw the blade being passed to Castiel.

There was a moment where time stood still as their eyes met, and for a while they just stared at each other, trying to determine the thoughts of their counterpart.

Cas' expression grew more and more tense with each passing second.

He couldn't do it.

He just couldn't do it.

He could _never_ hurt Dean.

The words were so quiet Dean barely heard them. "No," he finally said. "I can't."

The hunter shook with relief, and at the same time remorse.

His entire army was about to leave him because Dean mattered more.

But Dean wasn't oblivious to the sacrifice his Angel was making.

Hanna's expression turned cold to mask her emotions of hurt and rejection. "Good bye Castiel." Her words were soft but filled with finality and bitterness.

She was the first to leave, and then one by one every Angel exited out of the facility, abandoning their commander.

When Dean was finally free and the room had gone still, Dean and Cas both rushed to each other, not coming up once for air as their mouths made contact.

"That was so stupid," Dean mumbled but said it in a rush, his arms wrapping around his lover securely, his hands running all over Cas' body.

"I love you too," Cas muttered back, and within seconds they were a pile of limbs and skin and hot mouths on the floor. Dean ripped off his shirt and got on top of Cas, pressing their chests together.

"I'm so sorry," Dean whispered as his lips trailed hot and wet along Cas' torso. "I want to make it up to you," he said brokenly, using one hand to prop himself up and his other arm to hold his angel against him.

"I've already forgiven you," Cas mumbled, but moaned when Dean pressed their lower regions together.

" _I_ haven't forgiven me," Dean protested, and began doing his very best to "apologize" to his boyfriend.


	52. Chapter 52: Antihero

Chapter 52

Antihero

Elyse stared at Cassandra like a parent would at a child after being asked, _But if my eyes are covered then how can you see me?"_

Cassie rolled her eyes, not ready to get into this entire discussion. "I don't have a way to prove it and I don't want – "

" – Cassie, I don't know where you got such an idea - "

"- Elyse, I _said_ – "

" – God's Angels are in disguise, as homeless people or the elderly, stationed all throughout the world to test us, and our character."

 _Oh, Dear Lord._ "Elyse, I love you but please spout your Sunday school bullshit at someone else. Angels dress in trench coats and leather jackets." Cassie held her face in her hands, mentally reminding herself not to punch her very pregnant, very annoying sister.

Sam kept driving, internally begging them both to stop.

He understood the frustration of trying to explain to someone from the outside how the world actually was. Sometimes it was damn near impossible, and the only way they'd understand was by losing someone they loved or witnessing dark forces firsthand.

They were never the same afterward.

"It's blasphemous to call yourself – " But Elyse froze, her eyes going wide.

Cassie turned her head to look at what she'd been staring at.

"This is the road," she said, "to the house."

Cassie took note of the fact that she didn't even claim the house as her own by saying "my house" or "home." She talked of the house as if it were an entity to be avoided and feared.

As they drove further and further down the road, more and more purplish/reddish flowers appeared in clusters along the sides.

"Posies," Cassie said, immediately suspicious.

 _Ring around the Rosie_

 _A pocket full o' posies_

 _Ashes, Ashes,_ _ **we all fall down.**_

There was a file in the Men of Letters Archives she remembered reading concerning varying types of flowers, their uses in spell work and warding, and a brief history about each one.

She recalled the page on posies and how it related to the Black Plague.

 _ **The "ring of roses" describes the red buboes around the neck of an infected person (swollen lymph nodes); "posies" refers to the herbs or flowers that people carried in their pockets to breathe hoping it would protect them from the disease. "All fall down" describes the suddenness of death from what is today called "Black Death" or Bubonic Plague.**_

The scent of the posies had been used to mask the presence of death, and in the hopes that they could keep death at bay.

Cassie shot Sam a look from the backseat. He caught it in the mirror, and nodded, realizing where her mind had gone at the sight of the flowers.

 _Something's not right,_ she thought to herself.

Never mind the fact that of all flowers to be growing in abundance around here, they were posies, and they were the only flowers present…but it was also almost _January._

There shouldn't have been anything growing _at all._

They finally parked once they were in front of the house. A large, ominous presence on the property, surrounded by purple and red posies.

But despite all of the flowers, there was only one distinct aroma that stopped Sam in his tracks.

Cassie stepped out of the car and stiffened, covering her nose.

It was a scent of something rotting, death and decay.

Elyse didn't show a reaction to it, only continuing to exude a blank stare.

"You don't smell that?"

"It's awful, isn't it? I tried burning some of the flowers to get the smell to go away but they just came back," Elyse's eyes were losing focus and her voice was almost monotone.

"The smell isn't from the flowers," Sam muttered under his breath.

Ever since he'd started down Platt Drive, the hair on the back of his neck had stood up, and every fiber of his being was screaming to turn back and run.

Sam and Cassie gaped in shock.

The fields of posies went on for miles, completely encircling the property.

It was as if time was frozen sometime in mid-summer, but the smell of the flowers was near extinguished and it was freezing. The air was so thick it had its own atmosphere, making it difficult for Cassie to breathe.

It wasn't just the house that had something wrong with it.

It was the entire plot of land.

* * *

Metatron hummed joyfully as he tapped away on his typewriter, Gadreel glaring from the sidelines.

"My sources tell me you had the pleasure of making Cassandra's acquaintance?"

Gadreel stiffened. "Yes, I've met the Dual Wielder."

Metatron laughed. "Oh, she's hardly _that_ anymore. Still…it might be beneficial to us to have her on our side."

Gadreel clenched his teeth, knowing the outcome of even _suggesting_ it to her. "What gave you that idea?"

Metatron shrugged. "Well, even though her batteries are dead and her hard drive's been wiped, she's still an angel and every angel counts."

 _There's more_ , Gadreel thought to himself, but didn't respond.

"Tell me," Metatron began, feigning disinterest, "What was your first impression of her?"

Gadreel couldn't lie. "Compassionate. Kind."

Metatron nodded. "Oh. Well…someone who's compassionate, pathetic and homely might win the favor of the latter don't you think? People tend to root for the underdog, it's a classic motif in literature. Ordinary individuals see themselves in the average protagonist."

 _It's just as Castiel predicted,_ Gadreel thought. _Metatron is starting to see her as a threat._

"That's a bit of a problem, however. The Angels will only follow one leader, and that leader will be me, not her."

"She is powerless."

"No, she isn't." Metatron finally looked up from his work. "She has all the power in the world to take down everything I've worked for. You think I don't see that? A mythological hero comes back from the grave, rallying the troops against me?! You give that half winged blue jay a sword, and that'd be it."

Gadreel didn't want to hear this, but he had to know. "So then what do you propose we do?"

"Well, there's something I have that she doesn't." Metatron smirked, picking up a book from his extensive collection. "Knowledge." He shook it in his hand for emphasis. "I know the building blocks that _make up_ a story, and I, unlike _her_ , know her place in this one."

Gadreel really didn't like where this was going.

"Because _I'm_ the hero in this story…and Castiel is the villain…I'd say Cassandra could be our antihero. She lacks heroic qualities, but is still a notable figure in this Epic. And as such, we can treat her like a hero…for a time."

"I don't understand," Gadreel wasn't literature-savvy, but he didn't need an understanding of contemporary works to know this was going to end badly.

"Well when heroes are ripped from their world of what is "known" to cross the threshold into the _unknown_ , they must first go through a crisis or tragic experience. Heroes make it through said experience stronger than ever, but since she is an anti-hero…she won't."

* * *

Cassie's hand flew to her neck, making sure her anti-possession pendant rested on her neck.

She felt sick.

"Elyse, did you buy the supplies I requested?" Sam asked, turning to her.

He wanted his rock salt shotgun.

And his iron fire pokers.

And more salt.

And every single tool he had to leave behind because of damn airport security.

Elyse nodded. "It's all in the house."

"Of course it is," Sam mumbled to himself. "Alright, the two of you stay out here, I'll – "

" – Hell no! You can't go in there by yourself. I won't let you," Cassie immediately burst out, rushing to his side.

Elyse stared at her in disbelief. Where was the shy young girl who read books all the time and didn't say two words at dinner?

"I don't even know what's in there, this is so…different from what we're used to. This whole place just feels _wrong_." Sam visibly winced, the rotting stench starting to make him dizzy.

All three jumped at the sound of a car suddenly pulling up.

Cassie turned around and her cheeks flushed at the sight of a very tall, very grumpy looking man.

Her brother.

He dropped his briefcase, his mouth gaping open wide. "Casper?" he asked.

 _Oh jeez,_ _ **that**_ _nickname? Really? And it's really stupidly ironic now_. "Hey Davey Jones," she waved awkwardly back.

"Well, damn…" his smile shifted instantly however at the sight of Sam. "Who are _you_?" He asked, his chest puffing out.

Cass had to bite her lip to keep from snickering.

Sam and David were the exact same height, so they met eye to eye.

Sam didn't want to fight, though. "I'm here to help. I'm not sure what's going on in this house, but you all have to leave this place as soon as possible."

David shook his head. "Who are you to tell me what to do on my own property? I've invested too much in this house to just – "

" – David, this place is infested. Or possessed, or _whatever_ the hell. Something here is very bad and we need to go." Cassie tried to reason with him but she was already sensing that she was going to get some resistance.

"Oh, has Ellie been talking to you? Filling your head with the crazy stuff she's been – "

"LYSE IS NOT CRAZY, GHOSTS ARE REAL, THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED AND YOU NEED TO GET YOUR ASS OUT SO SAM AND I CAN SAVE IT!"

He stared at her blankly. "You… _are_ my sister, right? Because the Casper _I_ know – "

" – Please stop calling me that I'm twenty-two years old for god's sakes, not 16."

David sighed. "Look, if something really is going on here, then…" he looked back up at Sam, " _Sam_ and I can go inside, check things out, and you two – "

" – Oh please, don't make this a Billy-Badass Men-only affair. You've never even shot a gun you misogynistic – "

" - What the hell do _you_ know about guns and fighting?! Last time I checked the only time you ever hurt someone was when you used your copy of _The Chamber of Secrets_ to kill a spider!"

Elyse shot Sam a look. "I guess some things don't change."

As the two continued to bicker head-to-head, Sam contemplated what do to. He didn't like the idea of Cassie being in harm's way…but she had more knowledge on the subject and she was definitely more likely to be the better fighter out of the two, gender and height aside.

Plus it was never, ever in anyone's best interest to split up two hunters. Hunters were always stronger together.

"Elyse and David, you two stay together, Cassie and I are gonna search the property, then head into the house. Grab any iron objects from your vehicles, don't risk going into the house."

David shot Cassie a, "What the hell is he talking about?" look, but she glared, making him roll his eyes and comply, making his way to the car.

Sam tilted his head to the side, beckoning her to follow him.

She uncapped the tiny vial of salt she had stored in her pocket, just in case.

Sam pulled out a flashlight as it started to get darker, flashing it around the grounds as they searched.

Cassie didn't exactly get a "hello, and welcome to our lovely home," vibe from the house, but her instincts were telling her that whatever she was looking for was outside on the grounds.

She followed closely behind Sam, barely breathing, rotating every so often to make sure they weren't being followed someone or _something._

They made it to the edge of the property before it got deathly cold, but not from the weather.

A different kind of cold.

"Keep your guard up," Sam warned, feeling something coming on.

He veered a bit more to the left and suddenly got a whiff of something horrible.

Rotting flesh.

Cassie pulled her coat collar over her nose, her eyes starting to water.

As they continued on the smell grew stronger and stronger until they reached a burial site.

But the hole hadn't been finished.

Cassie gasped in horror and shielded her eyes, tears springing to her eyes.

There was a black trash bag, partially open to reveal the pale, half-eaten face of a dead Caucasian male.

A round-point shovel lie lifeless on the ground in the hands of another dead man, whose hand had swelled and tightened around it.

Flies swarmed and buzzed loudly over the rotting corpse in the garbage bag, the man with the shovel and another man, cocoa skinned lying face down.

"Holy crap," Sam muttered. "Cassie…" he didn't even know what to say.

Garbage-Bag man had probably been murdered and these two men were most likely members of a gang or mafia, trying to bury him.

But something stopped them.

And upon closer inspection, Sam discovered just what it had been.

In the hole that shovel-man started to dig, there was already occupants.

Three small skeletons, all lying on top of each other.

Since the bone structures were so small and dainty looking, they had most likely been children.

"Cassie, I'm so sorry you had to see this," Sam tried to compensate, but this was worse than anything he'd seen in quite a while.

He was about to pour the salt he'd kept in his pocket over the remains to burn them, but he froze at the sight of something white and shiny protruding out of the wall of the hole.

He handed the flashlight to Cassie, motioning for her to shine it on shovel-man.

She took a deep breath and with shaking fingers grasped its handle, pointing it so Sam could see.

"Hold on," he said, and used his foot to brace himself against the dead body as he pulled the shovel out of the corpse's vice-like grip.

He heard the crunching of bone and pulling apart of flesh and tendons before he finally got the shovel free and started to dig.

* * *

"I couldn't have staged it better myself," Metatron laughed, carefully neatening his pile of paper by banging it on his desk.

Gadreel still didn't quite get it. "I don't understand what her human siblings have to do with - "

" – When Ben Kenobi met Luke Skywalker and asked if he'd come to train with him, Luke refused. Even though Tattooine was a shithole of a planet and Luke had a boring, dull life as a Farm boy, he refused to cross the threshold into the unknown because he was unwilling to give up what was familiar to him."

Gadreel was able to understand this particular reference because Metatron "zapped" him with all of the episodes of Star Wars (except the Prequel series because those were awful.) "But Luke went on to train with Yoda and become a Jedi anyway."

"Yes, but what had to happen for him to finally leave his home planet?"

Understanding dawned on Gadreel's face. "You're saying – "

"Yes. I'd say our dearest Dual Wielder is due for another tragedy, don't you?"

* * *

After another twenty minutes of vigorous digging, Sam had to stop, taking a few steps back in shock.

The more he dug, the more corpses he found.

Skeletons, large and small, whole and in pieces, of all color variations, ages and conditions had all been buried here.

This wasn't just a cemetery or standard place of burial.

This was a dumping ground.

The entire property was probably laced with bodies. There was no way, even if they enlisted the help of the expecting Elyse and David, they could dig up every single grave to salt and burn them.

The bodies probably went on for miles.

It was impossible.

"Cassie, we have to grab what we can carry and get out of here now," he said in a rush, carrying the shovel in one hand and grabbing Cassie's in the other, beginning to run.

"Why were all those people there?" she sobbed, clenching her eyes shut, clinging to Sam as she ran.

Sam prayed they'd make it back to the couple in time. "Those guys were digging a grave but disturbed the graves of other people. They probably got attacked and killed by the ghosts of the skeletons we saw before they could finish."

"This is insane! There were so many, it just kept…" she couldn't finish.

"I'm gonna get you out of here," Sam promised. It was a few more minutes before they finally made it back to the house.

Sam checked his phone.

It was past eight o'clock.

"Dammit," he exclaimed, his eyes darting around the property, searching for Elyse and David.

"LYYYYYYSE!" Cassie called. "DAAAAAAVE!" She was starting to panic. What happened to them?

Elyse's warm smile and sunny blonde hair flashed in her mind, along with David's strong, stubborn glare and throaty laugh.

They were the only family she had left. She couldn't afford to lose them.

Cassie couldn't take the suspense anymore.

She already knew where they'd gone.

Cassandra ripped her hand free from Sam's grasp and bolted for the house.

"CASSIE STOP!" Sam yelled but she didn't listen. His heart stopped in his chest at the sight of her petite silhouette disappearing into the house.

Cassie's entire being told her to turn the other way but she couldn't. Even though every step she took felt weighted down with led, she could not leave behind her family.

Her voice was a shadow of what it had been just moments before. "David," she cried softly, "Elyse…." She stumbled through the dark house, searching aimlessly for a light switch but none of them worked.

Doors and windows were slamming and transparent figures kept appearing in her peripheral view but it didn't matter.

She needed to find them.

She screamed at the sight of Elyse being held up by her throat by a see-through man with black hair and a tux on. She was holding an iron pole but was frozen with shock, too frightened to use it.

"STOP!" Cassie cried, throwing her only vile of salt at the figure.

It vanished and Elyse crashed to the floor.

But it was too late.

Her soft blue eyes were empty and vacant, her gaze fixed on the doorway that served as her only exit.

Cassie was screaming but she couldn't hear it, the lights flickered and the floor creaked but all she knew was her dearest, darling sister lied limp in her arms and she would never be the Aunt that she was supposed to be.

She pressed a hand gently to her sister's stomach and sobbed, knowing in her heart it would have been a girl.

 _Why is this happening? How can God allow this? Why can't I do anything? I'm an Angel!_

"You were right Elyse," Cassie sobbed into her own hand, clinging to her sister for dear life. "I'm n-n-not an Angel. Angels help p-people, but I couldn't do _anything_ to help you."

"I was so stupid," she suddenly heard, Cassie falling over with the weight of what the voice meant.

Lying on the floor across the room was David, covered in blood.

"She was right the whole time, and I didn't listen," he gargled, coughing up more blood onto the floor. "Casper, you need to get out of here."

"I CAN'T LOSE BOTH OF YOU!" Cassie sobbed, crawling over to David with the strength she had left, pulling her phone out and dialing 911 with trembling fingers.

"It's too late for me, Sis. You know that. And I don't want to be anywhere else but here, with her," he glanced over at his wife's limp form, his eyes pooling with tears. "I failed. As a husband, as a brother…I'm so sorry, Cassandra."

Those were his last words before his eyes glazed over and Cassie was left surrounded in a room full of death and blood and empty eyes.

"NOOO! YOU CAN'T! I LOVE YOU!" She cried, curling up on the floor, unable to make herself stop.

And suddenly she opened her eyes and she was somewhere else.

It was hot, like she imagined California to be.

It was a college campus, crowded with groups of young people walking back and forth to their next class.

As she shakily stood up and glanced to her left, she saw him.

Sam.

But he looked different. He had a lightness to his eyes that she wasn't used to seeing. A boyish innocence and energy that lit up his whole face and put a skip in his step. Life hadn't caught up to him yet. His forehead didn't have lines of stress or worry, his hair was shorter and he wore a black hoody and dark wash jeans.

Weirdest of all, he was arm in arm with a giggling, happy blonde, who planted a kiss on his cheek with a carelessness that showed she'd never known any kind of hardship or pain.

Not like Cassandra.

"Hey there," a voice said.

She turned around to face the source.

Metatron stood there with his arms crossed and a smile on his face that made Cassie uneasy. "I think it's time you and I had a talk."


	53. Chapter 53: A Nudge

Chapter 53

A Nudge

The rumble of Baby's engine, for a moment, drowned out the unspoken questions between the hunter and his angel.

What were they supposed to do without an army?

What could be done about Castiel's diminishing borrowed grace?

How was Dean going to control himself the net time his bloodlust kicked in?

And how the hell were they going to defeat Metatron and bring the Angels back home?

Their thoughts however, were interrupted by the "Vvvv vvvvvv" of a vibrating cell phone.

Dean picked up. "Sam?" he asked.

Hopefully, he was just calling to check in on a Hunt and tell him how everything went.

"I'm stranded in Oswego."

"New York?" _Oh jeez._ "What happened?"

 _"Dean…"_ Sam's voice was trembling. _"Cassie's gone."_

Dean's heart stopped. _No._ "What do you mean, she's gone?"

"My sister?" Cas' eyes darted to Dean, full of panic.

 _"We came here on a hunt. It's a massive haunting, there's nothing we can do. Her family was killed…I…I w-went into the house to find her…but she was gone."_

Dean felt emotion well up, imagining how broken up and destroyed Cassie must be feeling. But he had to focus. "What do you mean, massive haunting?"

 _"The bodies go on for miles, Dean. It's a giant dumping ground. Probably for everyone from mafia members to serial killers. It's impossible for us to salt and burn every collection of remains."_

 _That's crazy._ It made the human centipede sound like _My Little Pony. "_ I'm comin', Sammy, just get someplace safe and text me your location."

" _Yeah,"_ Sam said, and hung up.

"Son of a bitch," Dean muttered.

He should've been there with the two of them instead of banging his boyfriend on the nearest office desk and forging the ultimatum that cost them their army.

"Angel," Dean said gently but firmly, "I know you're runnin' on empty, but give me everything you've got to get us the fuck to New York."

* * *

"Lovely day, isn't it? 2005 was a pretty good year, in my opinion. The Chicago White Sox won the World Series, Gwen Stefani broke away from _No Doubt,_ Jeannette Walls published her memoir…can't say I'm happy about Stephanie Meyer's creation of _Twilight_ – "

" – Where am I and why the hell is it 2005?!" Cassie interrupted. She glanced around her to see if her yelling had invoked a reaction in anyone.

She might as well have been invisible.

"Considering you're a bit _new_ to everything, I thought I'd provide some exposition to give you more of a perspective on things."

Cassie's eyes went to the young blonde again, realizing that if it was 2005, she could only be one person.

Jessica Moore.

"They make a cute couple, don't they? It only lasted about a year though until old Dean' O showed up and…well, why don't you just see for yourself?" Metatron snapped his fingers and just like that the scenery changed again.

She was in a dark hallway, looking into what looked like a dorm bedroom.

A young Sam was laying down on a bed, relaxed with his arms behind his head.

But suddenly something fell on his forehead.

Two drops of a red substance that -

He looked up and his eyes widened at the sight above him.

His sweet Jessica in a white nightgown, trapped on the ceiling with her stomach slit open and cold, dead eyes.

Her blonde hair was spread across the ceiling like a wreath around her head. Cassie screamed when the young woman suddenly caught flames.

It didn't take long for the entire room to be up in flames but all Sam could do was cry for Jess, his arms over his head as if to shield himself from what was happening.

Cassie ran to help him but to no avail.

She went right through him.

"Sam, go!" She cried, desperate to pull him out of the flames but he wouldn't budge.

But suddenly she heard someone _else_ calling "Sam."

The voice gradually got louder and louder each time, until a figure appeared into the room.

Another young man. He had short light brown hair, an Adonis jawline, stark green eyes and adorned a baggy leather jacket.

 _Wait a minute…Dean?_ Cassie thought.

It was him but much, much younger.

The young Dean gawked up at the ceiling, his expression filling with horror and remorse, but otherwise not showing a reaction, like he'd seen the same thing once before.

Sam kept yelling, "No" over and over, bringing Dean back to attention. He bolted to his brother on the bed, immediately grabbing him and saying, "We've gotta go!"

He hugged his brother tight to him and starting running out of the room, but Sam kept resisting, stretching his neck over the shoulder of his older brother, unable to stop screaming, "Jess! No! No! Jess!"

Cassie's body flooded with relief, knowing Dean would get Sam somewhere safe.

But it was too late for the girl.

The two brothers disappeared into the darkness just before the room was completely consumed in violent orange flames.

Cassie shielded her eyes with her arm only to have the roaring of the fire suddenly fall silent.

She was somewhere else again.

In someone's apartment.

And there he was, young Sam once more.

He had the same glow in his eyes that Cassie thought he'd lost before, after Jessica's death.

But he was talking on a couch with an attractive young brunette, the credits of a movie rolling behind them.

" _That_ one was Madison. There seems to be a real spark between them, don't you think? One of the few times Sammy connected with someone after his first relationship blew up in smoke."

The irony hadn't been lost on Cassie. "Shut the hell up," she gritted through her teeth at him, but she couldn't turn her eyes away.

She'd seen Sam like this before, stuttering over his words, biting his lip, trying to come up with the right words to say.

It was how he acted when he first met _her._

To see him so joyful and full of hope was refreshing and put a pressure on her heart she couldn't put a name to.

Metatron sighed. "Aaaaand fast forward two days later…" he snapped his fingers and suddenly they were in the same room but Sam and Dean were talking privately, tears streaming down Sam's face. He was turned away from Dean, who was holding a gun in his right hand.

"I'm sorry," Dean said, his eyes filled with remorse, but Sam immediately responded with, "No, you're right." He could barely talk, he was so choked up. "Sh-she's right."

Dean nodded. "Sammy, I got this one, I'll do it."

 _Oh god, they're going to kill someone,_ Cassie thought, her eyes moving quickly between the two of them.

"She asked me to," Sam choked out.

The young Dean, with pouted lips and sad eyes countered with, "You don't have to."

"Yes I do," Sam protested, sniffling. He rubbed his lips together to steady himself and get a hold on his emotions. He held his hand out, taking a deep breath and said, "Please."

"Why are they killing her – " but then Cassie took note of the scratches across Sam's left cheek.

 _She'd turned into some kind of monster. And since it was their job, they had to kill her._

Dean took a long look at his brother, gauging whether or not he really meant it, and upon realizing he did, gingerly handed the gun to Sam, handle up without breaking eye contact.

Sam looked down at the gun, then back up at Dean. "Just wait here," he whispered.

Sam walked out of the room, positioning himself to enter Madison's bedroom, turned to take one last look at Dean for strength, then nodded and dove into the room.

Cassie watched as the second Sam disappeared, a tear fell from Dean's left eye, and saw when he flinched, full of sorrow as the gun went off in the other room.

Cassie felt tears welling up in her own eyes, the loss of her siblings still fresh in her mind as well as the pain and suffering Sam had to go through at such a young age.

 _Her_ age.

She heard Metatron's fingers snap once more, and then they were outside. It was a sunny day and Sam and Dean looked a bit banged up, like they'd just gotten done with a hunt.

Sam was talking to Dean in the car, and then suddenly Sam burst out of the passenger side, marched up the stairs to the building they were parked in front of, knocked vigorously upon the door and immediately kissed the woman who opened it.

"And _her_ name was Sarah Blake. An auctioneer's daughter. She helped them figure out the haunting behind a painting they'd been about to auction off. The adopted daughter was a mass murderer, the father's ghost had been trying to warn people all along, blah blah blah, case solved, guy gets the girl."

Cassie felt a pang in her stomach at the sight of Sam enthusiastically making out and grabbing at another woman, but she had to keep in mind that this was years ago, before they'd ever met.

"Sam Winchester left that woman, thinking he'd never see her again, and then whoa and behold, seven years later…" Metatron snapped his fingers and they were standing in a studio apartment.

She recognized the woman on the floor as Sarah but older, and it appeared that she was suffocating.

Sam and Dean were running around the room, searching frantically for something.

But what?

A voice was on speaker, it echoed throughout the room.

She immediately recognized the British accent.

"I thought of sending in a few of my bruisers, REALLY letting them go to town. But then, well, trial one was kill a hellhound. Trial two was rescue a soul from the pit, so from here on, I'm gonna keep everything hell-related – demons, etcetera – away from you. Safe side and all that. Plus, I just thought it seemed fitting."

Crowley kept talking but Sam and Dean just continued to empty out bags, throw pillows, move furniture, everything they could do to find whatever it was they were looking for as Sarah's face started to change different colors and her breathing became more labored.

"From what I understand, Sammy took that bird's _breath away_."

Sarah's cheeks were red and blood vessels in her eyes were bursting.

"What's the line?"

Cassie closed her eyes she couldn't stand watching.

"Saving people hunting things – the family business."

Dean's expression filled with pure, genuine panic.

"They're looking for a hex bag that they can destroy to save Sarah, but they're searching was in vain," Metatron provided neutrally.

"Well, _I_ think that the people you save, they're how you justify your _pathetic little lives._ The alcoholism, the collateral damage, the pain you've caused, the one thing that allows you to sleep at night, the one thing is knowing these folks are out there, still out there, happy and healthy because of you, you BLOODY HEROES!"

The scene in front of her was suddenly cut short, and then she and Metatron were in what looked like the ultimate writer's workshop.

A gorgeous mahogany desk and luxurious leather armchair were at the center of the room, surrounded by walls made of bookshelves, which held countless first editions of every classical literary work every conceived.

The carpet had a lush, intricate bohemian design, and Metatron was suddenly in a very comfortable looking robe.

"So, since I know you're smart to _a degree,_ I'm assuming you can guess the pattern in all of those occurrences."

"You showed me a bunch of different women dying," Cassie said pointedly, keeping her distance from him.

"Well, _yeah._ But what connected all three of those women?"

She knew the answer _. They all dared to love Sam Winchester._

"The common denominator was your current boyfriend. Lovely company, you choose to keep by the way. A bunch of smelly, alcoholic, sleep-deprived – "

" – I need to get back to Sam in Oswego and get the hell away from you." Elyse and David's cold, dead eyes were seared into her vision.

"I think you're missing the point of why I took you back to witness those lovely occurrences."

Cassie crossed her arms, waiting.

Metatron nodded. "You are an Angel, but lack your memories and your abilities. Therefore, in this fight, you are useless."

"Then why bother to kidnap me?" She asked.

"Because since you _did_ used to be one of us, I wanted to try and spare you. This fight between Castiel and I has nothing to do with you. You're a human, and as such you have no business meddling in Holy affairs such as this one. It's bad enough the Winchesters have gotten themselves involved."

"My brother needs my help, and the Angels don't belong on Earth. I want to help them get back home."

"Don't you have enough problems of your own to deal with? Considering your vessel is rejecting you, Dean is starting to have Hulk Fits and your dearest Castiel is dying? And let's not forget your poor foster siblings. You ruined their lives. Leaving them brought them misery, and your return brought about their deaths – "

" – SHUT THE HELL UP!" That was it. She wouldn't sit and listen to any more of this crap.

"You won't survive for long if you still decide to participate in this feud. You have no control of your vessel, you're amateur at best when it comes to combat – "

" – I said shut your face!" She screamed. "I don't care about my short comings because I have a family to protect!" Castiel, Sam and Dean needed her.

 _Oh God, Sam._

He was all by himself in Oswego.

"Oh, because that worked out _so_ well last time," Metatron snapped. "You can't protect _anyone._ You didn't learn that from losing your brother and sister?! If you're in the crossfire your dearest Sam is going to perish because he was worried about you, and all because a useless human decided to join the fight."

"I'm not a useless human." She briskly walked to the door, pulling at it to make it give.

But it didn't open.

"Every single woman who ever got involved in the life of Sam Winchester, even for an instant, died a painful, horrific death. You think the same isn't waiting for you?"

"NO!" She screamed, but deep down she didn't completely believe it. "Amelia survived. And I'm sure plenty of others - "

" -Oh yes, all one-night stands back when he didn't have a soul, but I digress." Metatron continued to watch her struggle with the door, growing more and more amused.

"Whatever. I'm different. I'm not some pathetic blonde who never had to scrounge for change, or a rich auctioneer's daughter, or a - "

" - Oh wow, is that _resentment_ I hear? _Pathetic blonde?_ Don't hate on Jessica, the poor girl didn't know she was going to - "

" - The point is, I'm strong. Sam told me so. He's said over and over that I'm different from the others. And I am. Because what sets me apart is I'm _not afraid to die for him."_

"And you think he _isn't_ afraid of that?"

Cassie finally froze, his words stopping her in her tracks. She was ready to die for him, but she knew she couldn't. Ever.

It would destroy him.

"I'll let you go under one condition. You stay out of this fight, and out of my way."

 _Okay, that's it._ "You know what? All I cared about was keeping the man I love safe, and protecting the people I care about. But now, I _will_ join this war, and I WILL kick your ass and we _WILL WIN!"_

Metatron smirked as if she was doing nothing more than throwing a tantrum.

Cassie let go of the door handle, wiping her forehead. "You _do_ think I'm a threat to you. Otherwise, why give me this little pep talk, pull me away from my family and ricochet me through time like a pinball? You're trying to convince me to stay out because you know that all I have to do is – "

But she felt a jolt inside her.

 _ **You promised. You said just a bit longer. You were going to find a way for us both to exist.**_

Sarah's voice was growing more and more angry inside of her.

 _I'm sorry but I don't have the luxury of spending time searching for a cure anymore. He's right. I can't protect my family as a human. That's already been proven. Elyse and David are dead because all I could do was throw salt at a ghost and then crumble to pieces._

 _ **We were supposed to be in this together! I was even starting to like you!**_ Sarah screamed inside her, trying to send jolts of pain to Cassie's abdomen.

 _I'm sorry but I don't have a choice anymore. Time's up._

In that moment the door opened and Gadreel stepped over the threshold.

His eyes flashed with recognition, but she could see that he was still trying to play the part of loyal servant. "I am ready to send you wherever it is you need to go," he said in neutral iambic contamiter.

At that moment she felt her phone buzz in her pocket.

The Caller I.D. read _Sam._

"Love?" She answered.

" _Oh thank god,"_ Sam said, his voice flooding with relief. _"Are you okay? Where are you? I'm with Dean and Cass, we'll come get you."_

Cassie looked down at herself, covered in mud, blood, and fatigued with all of the overwhelming emotions that stained her mind for good.

There was something she needed to do.

So she could be strong enough to protect Sam.

"Meet me in Sanford," she said abruptly, not breaking her gaze from Metatron, and hung up.

"Where is that?" Gadreel asked.

She swallowed, tucking her phone back in her pocket and wiping her eyes. "Maine."

"Very well, " he said, tapping her gently on the shoulder, and she was gone.

Metatron clapped his hands together, like he'd just finished cleaning. "Fantastic. That's one adversary out of the way," he said, pulling up his pants and adjusting his robe sleeves as if he'd just finished taking out the garbage.

Gadreel shook his head. "But how does this help? She will be attempting to activate her Grace now."

"Exactly," Metatron beamed.

"Why would you want her to regain her powers? Wouldn't she be more of a threat when her full strength returns?"

Metatron nodded. "Yes, if the spell were actually going _to work_. But it won't. She'll just end up offing herself, saving me the trouble of doing it myself."

Gadreel froze. Metatron had completely tricked her into doing exactly what he wanted.

"She's the anti-hero, which means she cannot progress and change as a character. She either stagnates, or gets destroyed. Sam will spiral out of control with grief at the loss of his beloved, Castiel will soon diminish and die, and Dean will go off the rails, consumed with bloodlust and a desire to kill. The fearsome foursome will be in ruins." Metatron practically skipped over to his chair, and started typing again. "All that's left is to write the epilogue."


	54. Chapter 54: Last Resort

Chapter 54

Last Resort

It started to rain as they cruised down highway I-90. Dean covered up Cas with the leather jacket, who was passed out on his lap, curled up against him.

He'd come to Oswego as fast as he could but they still had a shit ton of driving to do. Six and a half hours to be exact.

A lot could happen in that time.

Despite the fact his lover was peacefully and deliciously draped over Dean's lap and Cassie was potentially in danger, all he could think about was how badly he wanted to take out Metatron with the first blade.

Everything he saw was red. He needed blood. He needed to kill.

And it was impossible not to think about it.

He could only equate the feeling to being very very horny for a very long time and needing to get laid, but even then it didn't even come close to what he was feeling.

The only thing keeping a lid on his urge was the look of defeat and sheer depression staring back at him in the rearview mirror.

Sam.

Sam sat in the back, shaking with internal rage and grief.

Once again he'd failed.

All he could think about was how horrified Cassie had been at the graveyard, sobbing for those who had been brutally murdered and dismembered, the cold dead eyes of every corpse she saw, including the bodies of her family members. He'd completely failed to protect Cassandra and to top it off, let her entire family get slaughtered. By ghosts no less, the very thing he'd been trained his whole life to fight.

But the case had just been too big.

And then how abruptly she ended their phone call.

Why the hell did she want to meet them in Sanford, of all places?

"She better not be traveling on foot," Sam whispered to himself. The days of Cassie having to walk everywhere, adorning only a backpack and wad of cash were over. He was supposed to provide for her.

Where could she possibly have gone for her to want to meet them in Sanford, Maine?

Sam's heart sank every time the image of Cassie disappearing into that house conjured itself up in his head, causing him to visibly flinch. Maybe she'd been taken by a ghost or…

 _Wait a minute…_

Where was she _now?_

Sam pulled out his laptop and logged onto the locator website they used for all of their phones.

Her phone was in Sanford, Maine.

 _What the Hell?_

One minute she was with him in Oswego, and then in the next ten she'd suddenly traveled four hundred miles?

 _Oh shit._ "Dean, she's already in Sanford."

He stiffened. "But she was with you in New York forty minutes before I picked you up. It's gonna take _hours_ for us to get to Maine, how the hell is she already there?"

Sam wracked his brain. It just didn't add up. Unless…

Maybe she'd been somewhere after leaving Oswego and _before_ ending up in Sanford. If he found out _that_ location, he could get a gist of who had taken her.

He scrolled up to see the GPS' records.

 _Error._

 _Son of a bitch._ "I think she was taken."

"By who? Crowley?" Dean took a guess, holding the steering wheel with one hand and resting his arm over Cas with the other.

Sam took a deep breath, clearing his head. _It could've been, but…_ "I'm not sure…all I know is we gotta get there as soon as possible."

"Yeah, intuition is tellin' me she's up to somethin' and it ain't anything good." A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Isn't Sanford where she's from? That's where you guys ran into that Immortal jerkoff or whatever."

Sam's eyes widened.

At the mention of Amarandos, he knew exactly why Cassandra would be in Sanford.

"Dean, step on it. Fuck all the speed limit signs, fuck everything." Tears sprung to his eyes but he bit them back.

"What is it?" Dean asked, suddenly panicking internally at seeing his brother so distressed. "What are you thinkin'?"

He put his face in his hand, leaning against the car window. _You promised me_ , he thought, clenching his fist. _You can't just make a decision like this on your own. I need you._ "If we don't…" _we might not ever see her again._

* * *

Cassie gasped after falling to the ground. She held her head in her hands, groaning with dizziness, but eventually got herself to a standing position and rubbed her eyes, looking around.

She was back in Sanford.

Cassie still wasn't used to the whole Angel-teleporting-power-thing, but she recognized her surroundings. The library, the same intersection laced with trees…the cemetery where her father was buried…

She immediately started running down the road that would lead to the Brontes' jewelry shop.

It was a long shot, but it was all she had.

* * *

Sam dialed Cassie over and over, growing more and more depressed the more his calls went unanswered.

 _Is she in trouble or is she ignoring me on purpose?_

Either way, it took a toll on his emotions.

Cas woke up, groggy and weak on Dean's lap, but sat up and ran his fingers through his hair to straighten it when he realized the car was still moving. "How much further?"

Dean didn't take his eyes off the road. " _Legally,_ it would take another four hours, but we're gonna make it there in one."

He sighed. "I understand her actions," Cas said, his voice croaking with tiredness. "She sees the death of her siblings as a personal failure to protect them, so she wants to become stronger, preventing an incident like that from ever happening again."

"By what, shooting herself up with _Angel juice_? What if it kills her?"

Cas flinched. "If Cassandra doesn't make it through the process…she will disappear and Sarah's soul will inhabit the vessel." He didn't say anything more, trying not to think about it.

Dean shook his head. "So we'd meet the _actual_ Sarah. Not looking forward to that."

"Cassie is _not_ going to die," Sam said firmly, his eyes red from holding back tears. "She can't."

No one confirmed or denied his claim. The rest of the car ride was silent, and with each passing half hour the tension grew.

* * *

It was freezing, snow starting to fall. Cassie shivered and hugged herself, trying not to think of the blood and dirt coated on her hands.

Sarah was flickering in and out of Cassie's vision, and slowly she felt herself starting to slip. Cassie knew that Sarah knew she no longer had any intention of trying to preserve the human soul inside her vessel, so she was fighting back.

But Cassie was in no condition to barricade her conscious against Sarah's assaults. _I have to_ , she thought. _Sarah, you have to understand…_

For her brother, for Dean, for…

His eyes were burned into her mind.

Soft, brown, warm.

It was the only thing keeping her from slipping away.

She circled around the building, pulling up a hood over her face to avoid the odd looks from passersby.

Like she figured, there was a back door to the store...but it was locked.

She didn't have any skill with picking locks like Sam, and even if she _did,_ she didn't have any tools with her to attempt it. She looked around her, scanning the ground for anything that would be of use.

An old trick she'd had to use in her past involved one of the oldest ploys in the book.

She grabbed the glass bottle, knocked promptly and hard on the back door, then bolted to hide behind a large dumpster.

A few moments later Ikaros emerged, glancing around him suspiciously.

With her back against the dumpster, she threw the bottle forward, causing a large sound of breaking glass.

Ikaros immediately ran over to investigate, going right past her.

She only had a time window of maybe eight seconds.

Which is how long it was before she was inside the building with the door shut and locked behind her.

She crept quickly in a kneeling position, focusing on her watch so she could activate her blade if needed.

She made her way down a hall which eventually opened up into the main room with the jewelry counters and sofas, but she was looking for something in particular.

She glanced at all the office doors alongside her, trying to find the nameplate that would've been Amarandos' office…

But the only name she saw was Sabine Brontes.

 _That might be the next best thing_. After Amarandos… _passed away_ , it was possible that Sabine had moved a few of his belongings into her office, since she'd inherited them.

It was the only place it could be.

Remnants of the potion for awakening her grace.

She tried the knob, and to her incredible luck, it was unlocked.

She immediately ducked inside and locked the door behind her.

By this point, she'd heard loud banging from the door that she'd locked Ikaros' out of, but even if he made it back inside there was no way for him to tell which door she'd gone through.

Cassie flicked on the light to reveal a distinctly bohemian-themed space, a stark contrast to the clean, simplistic look of Amarandos' Greek style of blue and white staccato.

There were boxes, a desk, and various chests to look through.

She had probably five minutes to find it. Ikaros would search for her, fail to find her, alert Sabine, and the first thing she'd do was check her office.

To which she'd inevitably have a key to.

Cassie starting pulling open the drawers of filing cabinets, searching through Sabine's desk, rummaging through papers and lose strands of jewelry, all to no avail.

She had to be careful not to trip over the throw pillows on the floor that were most likely for clients.

Finally, she found a box sealed shut with duct tape, labeled _toss._

It had to contain the remnants of what used to be in his office. Which hopefully included the potion.

After she found it, she'd bolt to her old house, call Crowley (she didn't have the summoning spell for a demon memorized) convince him to perform the spell…

And hopefully it would work.

* * *

Another twenty minutes passed before there was a sudden fluttering of wings…

And Gadreel appeared in the back seat.

Sam recoiled from him, immediately drawing his gun. "Dean!" he called.

Dean swerved in surprise but then straightened out the car, glancing into the rearview mirror. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY CAR!"

"Dean, let's hear him out," Cas said, turning around to face Gadreel.

"Metatron took Cassandra. She then requested that I take her to Sanford, Maine."

 _God dammit._ "Why?! Why did he take her?!" Sam yelled, not lowering his gun.

"Sam!" Cas shouted. "Put the gun down and listen! He's on our side!"

Sam glared at him for a few moments, but dropped the gun in his lap. "Why did he want her," he insisted. "What did he do to her?"

Gadreel sighed. "He took her through time and showed her each demise of every past lover you've ever had."

Sam froze. _Wait…what?_ "Uhhh...oh. R-really?" _That's not good._

Dean scoffed. " _Jesus_ , no wonder she left."

"Dean, shut the hell up!" Sam growled, then turned back to Gadreel. "Why?"

Gadreel continued. "He was trying to convince her that eventually, she too would perish since Cassandra is so attatched to you. Metatron's goal was to drive her to attempting the awakening spell."

"Like _that_ would work." Sam remembered her promise to him. "How would he possibly – "

" - So far everyone she's ever loved in her life has died. Except for the three of you. She is determined to protect you all, no matter the cost."

Sam shook his head, heat and anguish festering in his chest. "No, she doesn't…she can't possibly think it's her responsibility to protect us." _It was supposed to be the other way around._

Dean suddenly pulled over and parked the car. Then turned around to face Gadreel.

"Get us there. Now."

* * *

Cassie stared at the box, her hand shaking just from holding it. She felt the power emanating from it, but at the same time the danger.

 _You don't want to do this, I feel it,_ Sarah warned _. Waking up a 4,000 year old Warrior Angel? You won't be the same as you are now. Not by a long shot._

That statement solidified her decision. "That's the point," Cassie growled. _The way I am now is_ _ **weak.**_ _I couldn't protect my family, which means I can't protect Sam, and I sure as hell can't help my brother win this war. I don't have a choice. I have to do this._

Not to mention Metatron's smirk, the way he acted all high and superior to her, making wisecracks about the deaths of her family and Sam's past lovers…

 _ **One of the few times Sam connected with someone after his first relationship blew up in smoke.**_

She balled up her fist. I _want to be strong enough to tear him to pieces._

 _We could work through this. You're acting rashly right now because you're grieving. I get that. But if it's really coming to this, I'm not gonna to hold back._

 _I know._ She activated her blade, watching it gleam to life and take form.

Once it was firmly in her hand, she tore at the duct tape, opening the box.

There were various pieces of jewelry, gold and silver mini-idols of the Greek gods…

And three vials of the oily substance she recognized, sealed shut with wax.

She immediately stashed them in her jacket.

Cassie took a sharp intake of breath at the sound of the door's handle being jostled.

Someone was trying to get in.

There weren't any windows.

 _Shit._ She dialed Crowley, flinching as she canceled out all the "missed call" notifications from Sam and Dean.

 _666._

" _How'd you get this number,_ _ **mortal**_ _?"_ A deep voice answered on the other line.

"Get Crowley," She demanded with a no-nonsense tone, starting to panic as the door was jostled more vigorously. "Tell him Lizzy is calling and it's tea time."

The demon on the other line picked up on the fact it was code, and he briefly said, " _One moment, please."_

There was a pause, and then she heard the now familiar British accent on the line. " _Hello, Love. Didn't expect to get a call from – "_

" – Brontes' Jewelry Shop in Sanford, Maine. I'm alone, trapped in Sabine Brontes' office."

She blinked and he was there, with a smirk. "You have the decency not to set a demon trap for me. Can't say the same for your Winchester counterparts."

"Get me to 934 Platt Drive," she said desperately, her head turning toward the door.

The knob was turning.

The door creaked open…

And they were both at the front door of her house.

Crowley crossed his arms. "You _do_ know I'm the king of _Hell_ right? I've got better things to do than chauffeur around wayward angels."

She sighed, letting out a huge breath. She was out and safe. Well, relatively.

 _You're about to commit glorified suicide,_ Sarah said. Cassie could practically see her arms crossed.

 _Actually it's going to be **murder,**_ Cassie countered coldly.

"You look like hell," Crowley suddenly said, looking her up and down. " _I_ would know."

"Yeah I _know_ ," she sighed, putting her forehead in her hands. She couldn't believe there was a time she was _afraid_ of Crowley.

Then again she supposed that she still should be.

"I got the last of the potion from Amarandos," she said, pulling out one of the vials.

Crowley looked at it, then back at her. "Bollucks." He rolled his eyes, knowing what she was going to ask. "You, young lady, are going to get a very large bill in the mail for this."

"I'm not young _or_ a lady," she stated, "So you're wrong on both accounts."

Crowley snapped his fingers, and Cassie was back in order. Hair brushed, blood and dirt gone, and she smelled significantly better.

"Fairy godmother at your service," he said sarcastically, curling his fingers in a  
come on" gesture as they entered the house.

* * *

Sam's first thought was to go back to the mansion and look for her, but she reduced that place to nothing.

There wouldn't be anything for her there.

The four men walked briskly around Sanford, Sam in the lead. "The only place she'd think to look has to be the jewelry place."

They reached it in minutes, then bolted in, metaphorical guns a-blazing.

Sabine froze momentarily at the counter, but crossed her arms. "I thought the deal was I wouldn't see you ag – "

Sam marched up to her and demanded, "Where is she."

Her eyes filled with recognition. "It was _her_ ," she realized, her eyes going to the hallway.

Sam's eyes followed hers, then he took five quick strides to the office door that laid ajar.

It was a mess inside, papers everywhere, boxes torn open…all covered in small smudges of dried blood.

 _She was here,_ Sam thought.

Sabine walked up next to him. "Ikaros got locked out of the building, and when I went to check the surveillance tapes to see what happened, I discovered that my office had been locked from the inside. But once I'd opened it, there was no one and nothing here but a huge mess."

 _Locked from the inside? Then how did she get out?_

Dean stepped into the office, not caring much about the papers on the floor. He sniffed. "I smell sulfur."

Sam gritted his teeth. "Crowley."

* * *

Cassie lied on her back on her old bed, the same bed she'd given her virginity to Sam on.

 _He's why I'm here. **He's** the reason I need to get stronger._

Crowley drizzled the oil onto her skin without any of the sexual subtext that Amarandos had displayed, simply neutrally performing the spell.

He chanted a few words in latin, then slit her wrist and used her blood to draw symbols on the wall, just as Amarandos had done.

All that was left was to slam his hand against the symbol on the wall, and it would start.

"You're really sure about this? You can't take it back, whatever happens," Crowley said.

Cassie raised an eyebrow.

Crowley shrugged. "I mean I don't really _care_ of course, it's just you know, I thought I should ask. Plus it'd be a shame to go through all this effort just to have you chicken out on me."

Cassie locked eyes with him, deciding not to close them just yet.

In case she didn't make it, she needed to have a last moment.

Something tangible to hold on to.

Her last memory would be lying in her old bedroom, covered in oil and blood with the King of Hell.

 _At least it's memorable,_ she told herself, but deep down she wanted her last tangible thing to be the feeling of her lips against Sam's.

But beggars can't be choosers.

"The boys are smarter than you give them credit for. After you've done it, you should leave. It won't take them long to figure out where I am, and they're not exactly gonna like you when they find out you're the one I put up to this."

Crowley surprisingly felt a twinge of human emotion tugging at him. Despite everything, she showed a smidge of compassion towards him, warning him ahead of time to get to a safe place. "You better come back _you,"_ he said, "We _still_ haven't had tea." He broke his eyes away as his hand made contact with the wall.


	55. Chapter 55: Duel

Chapter 55

Duel

Dean paced around the room. "Well shit, if Crowley got 'er, then she could be _anywhere_ now."

Sam was overcome with anxiety and rage but he took a deep breath, trying to fight through it and find some logic.

The office had been locked from the inside.

Why?

He held his head in his hands, closing his eyes and thinking hard.

 _Did Crowley lock it?_ He wouldn't have any motivation for doing so.

Which means Cassie did.

 _It had been intentional_.

Okay, so she locked herself inside. But why?

It came to him easily. _To protect herself._

But not from Crowley, she'd barricaded herself from Sabine and Ikaros. That had to be the case, since they;d had no knowledge of who broke into the office.

That could only mean that Cassie summoned Crowley. She was wearing an anti-possession and soul-masking necklace, so the only way Crowley would be able to find her is if she'd told him where she was.

And suddenly all of the pieces fell into place in his head.

She wanted to perform the awakening spell.

She had been short with him on the phone because she didn't want Sam to try and stop her.

And she needed Crowley because he had experience in performing spells and reading Enochian.

As frustrated and yet elated Sam felt at figuring out Cassie's plan, he was still overcome with dread.

Knowing what had conspired meant nothing if he couldn't figure out where she was now.

Sam suddenly glanced up to see Dean talking to Sabine. He was deep in thought, so he hadn't heard of any of the dialogue, but he caught a few head nods and mouth movement.

He tuned in.

"So if there was a five-minute span of time, and Cassie had to get out of here fast, what's the first place that would come to mind to bolt to?"

Sam bit his lip in thought. "The bunker?"

Dean shook his head. "She wouldn't risk taking Crowley there."

Sam suddenly realized the location. It struck his subconscious like lightning and without another word he bolted out of the shop at a full sprint, running towards Platt Drive.

"Sam!" Castiel called after him but Sam was already across the parking lot.

How could he have been so blind? The answer had been staring him right in the face.

They were in Sanford after all, there was only one place that _could_ come to mind for Cassie.

 _I'm coming._

* * *

For a moment Cassie was simply adrift, floating in the semi-thick and murky darkness of her subconscious. But gradually the more she blinked the more came into focus.

There was a floor beneath her feet, mimicking the surface of a giant mirror that stretched on for miles.

A blonde woman moved slowly underneath the mirror as if she were underwater. Her eyes were closed and the strands of her hair framed the space around her like a wreath.

Then suddenly the woman glowed and materialized onto the surface of the mirror.

Cassie knew what she had to do.

But that didn't make this any easier.

Sarah opened her eyes, and upon seeing Cassie crossed her arms and glared. "So much for making peace with your enemies, huh?"

Cassie didn't have a word to say in reply.

"This kind of sucks a bit." Sarah pulled a blade out of her back pocket.

Cassie stiffened. _Shit, when the hell did she get that?!_

But then she remembered.

Sarah had clung to the blade pointed at her back when she was behind bars in Cassie's subconscious, and when Cassie had dematerialized the cell…

The blade had too.

 _Sarah took it_.

It was the only thing Cassie was focusing on now.

"You seemed to really care about what happened to me, and now you're forcing me to commit murder."

She pulled Suan Ywe Gou out of her back pocket, clinging to it.

It was funny. She was going tor reclaim her Angel grace with a human weapon and fight against an Angel blade wielded by a human soul.

"And it's just so hypocritical…I mean, you want to be strong enough to protect lives, yet here you are, ready to _take_ one to accomplish that. You're such a bitch."

Sarah was taller than Cassie and broader, but Cassie had the advantage of speed and training since her body mass was lower.

"It'll be weird to have control of my body. I mean, being a twenty-two year old with a tenth-grade education isn't gonna be a walk in the park, but ya know...I'm sure Sam and Dean will be more than happy to –

Cassie gave a cry of outrage and lunged for Sarah, blade in hand but was blocked with Sarah's boot and kicked backwards from her stomach.

 _Dammit._ She had the sensation like she couldn't breathe, but she had to tell herself it was all in her head.

Throughout the match, she started to feel a hot pulsing from her core.

Her grace. It was trying to awaken.

It poked and prodded at her insides, encouraging her to get back up.

She stumbled but got back to a standing position.

 _I let my emotions get the better of me. Making me strike first._

 _Do_ _ **not**_ _be the one to strike first._

Cassie breathed hard, and she couldn't keep her hands steady. But she was strong.

She could not be beaten by Sarah.

Sarah bit her lip, as if fighting like this aroused her. "You're bound to lose. Doesn't it go against your programming to harm any living thing? I mean, the Winchesters call you a hunter and you haven't even _killed_ anything." Sarah laughed.

"Not yet," Cassie growled. She raised a leg up as if to kick her.

Sarah blocked it with her hand but failed to notice Cassie raising her right arm to strike.

She cut a dash in Sarah's face.

"AAHHH!" She let out a shriek and clutched at her face, then growled at Cassie. "You bitch!"

Cassie held back a grin of satisfaction.

The battle wasn't anywhere near won, and Cassie already felt weak.

"I told you not to fight me," Sarah gritted her teeth, slashing the Angel blade in her hand back and forth, causing Cassie to have to leap and jump backwards to avoid the blows. "I! Told! You! I! Wouldn't! Hold! BACK!"

Cassie cried out when Sarah's blade finally made contact with her skin, knicking her collar bone.

But instead of letting the hot blood trickling down her chest cause her to panic, she used it as ammunition. "You're right, I don't want to kill you. But I don't have a choice."

"Bullshit," Sarah spat. "There's always a choice. And people will always make the choice that benefits them."

Cassie jumped backwards again when Sarah aimed at Cassie's thigh. "This isn't about _me_! I need to be alive and strong for Sam, for Dean - "

" – Don't feed me any of that selfless-servant-of-god crap." Sarah's eyes narrowed. "You know this isn't about them. You can convince them that your intentions are pure but not _me_. We share the same body, you moron. I know _everything_. You can't fool me."

Something inside Cassie suddenly snapped, and decided to be very selfish.

When she glanced back up to meet Sarah's gaze, the blonde flinched and gasped.

There was something in Cassie that hadn't been there before.

"You're right," her voice was dark and deadly as she stalked towards Sarah, refusing to back down. "I want to see the look on Metatron's face when I stab my blade through his heart." Her crystal blue eyes were ice. "I want to avenge my family's deaths."

Sarah found herself taking small steps backwards.

"I want to feel the rush of satisfaction I get at proving him wrong." Cassie raised her blade, readying herself to strike. "And I want everyone to stop worrying about babysitting me and leaving me behind on hunts and missions. I _will_ make it through this awakening, stronger than ever, and be ready to kick the ass of any anyone who stands in my way!"

Cassie leaped into the air, using gravity as the driving force to plunge her blade into Sarah's heart.

* * *

Sam kicked down the door of Cassie's, house, rushing up the stairs.

His heart fell into is stomach at the sight that lied before him.

Cassie was covered in blood, resting on her bed, back down.

Her delicate wrist had been bandaged and left hanging off the side of the bed.

 _So it's already started._

Sam had so many emotions.

Betrayal, Fear, Worry.

She'd kept this from him. Consulted the help of a demon, ignored his phone calls, and ran off to Sanford without saying a word.

But he understood her intentions.

She wanted to make herself strong enough to protect him.

When he'd been her age, he'd done something similar in seeking Ruby's blood.

Sam took her hand in his, stroking the inside of her wrist with his thumb.

What if her grace awakened and her memories returned? Would she feel the same about him that she always has, or would it change? Would she remember him at all? What if she lost?

Somehow, even though a million feelings were coursing through him at once, doubt was not among them.

No matter what happened, he did not doubt her.

One way or another, she'd be the one to open her eyes and see him.

And the first thing he was going to do was kiss her until she couldn't breathe.

Dean, Castiel, and Gadreel had followed close behind him, entering the room not long after Sam had sat down in a chair next to Cassie.

"What do we do now?" Dean wondered aloud. He glanced at Cas and flinched.

His eyes were wide and open but dead.

Dean knew what he was feeling.

The pit of sorrow in his stomach at potentially losing his sister.

And at the same time the aching hope that he'd get her back.

Gadreel stepped forward to take a closer look but Sam immediately stiffened, only a few moments from baring his teeth.

The reaction wasn't warranted but he couldn't help it.

"I can tell you what going on if you let me read her consciousness," he explained neutrally.

Sam huffed, but nodded, shifting his weight ever so slightly to the right so Gadreel had room to reach.

He pressed a finger to her temple.

His jaw tightened. "She's fighting Sarah. And fighting hard."

"Who's winning?" Dean was the only one who had the courage to ask.

"Both parties have taken a beating and they are equally matched in resilience. It's hard to s – " he froze and swallowed.

There was silence.

"What?" Sam growled, his sanity hindering with each passing second Cassie wasn't awake and in his arms.

"She's…" Gadreel wasn't sure how to describe the ferocious murderess he was staring at that no one else could see.

"She's what?!" Sam couldn't take it anymore. "Cassie, please!" He pushed Gadreel out of the way and clung to her shoulders, tears flowing freely now. "Cassie, wake up," he whispered. "P-please…I don't care if you can protect me or not, I just want you back…"

A jolt shot through Cassie's body and her eyelashes fluttered.

He didn't dare breathe.

* * *

"Cassie?"

The voice struck her with such a pang of familiarity that it sent her reeling back.

Her blade had reached its mark.

But to her horror, it was not Sarah's heart she had struck.

"C-Cassie, i-i-it's m-m-me," Sam choked out with a guttural sound, coughing up blood.

Her worst nightmare had come true.

"NO!" She cried.

No. This had to be a dream. She was sure the person she had aimed for was Sarah.

Just moments before, they'd been fighting.

She stroked Sam's face, looking into his wonderful brown eyes that weren't really brown. The light was fading from them as blood dripped down his chin, and she felt her own vitality fading along with it.

She started to sob. "Sam, no…" she croaked, sobbing.

 **Cassie, please!**

Cassie's eyes widened. _Wait, what?_

She listened hard.

The voice came again.

 **Cassie, wake up! Please…I don't care if you can protect me or not, I just want you back…**

 _Back?_

She looked down at the floor.

And saw Sarah's reflection underneath Sam.

 _Shit._

"Ugh!" She once again lost her ability to breathe.

Something sharp and cold had dug into her stomach, and she fumbled her fingers around trying to find the source.

A cool blade handle made contact with her finger tips.

And suddenly Sam's sobs morphed into laughs, and the laughs just continued and grew louder and more boisterous.

It made her sick to her stomach.

It was _his_ laugh, coming out of _her_ , because she'd been _stabbed._

That hurt worse than the blade.

Her hands were getting covered in the hot, gushing substance.

She recognized the coppery smell and taste that was starting to build up behind her throat.

"Ya know, it's a good thing I live here, and share this mind with you." Sarah continued to strut around Cassie's body slowly as Sam. "You've memorized every curve, line and form that makes up Sam Winchester. It was easy for me to alter myself to look like him. Pretty neat trick huh?"

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

But Cassie could no longer support her weight and she was crumbling to the ground, staring at her reflection in the floor. All of these actions accompanied losing a battle.

Stained in red, bruised, and beaten.

This outcome was supposed to be an impossibility.

Yet here she was, lying on her side, dying slowly.

"I knew you and I were evenly matched in all aspects, so if I was going to beat you I had to take advantage of your one weakness. Your love for Sam."

 _No, he's not my weakness. He's my purpose. My strength. My love for him is what makes me strong._

Cassie screamed in agony when Sarah-Sam grabbed her Suan Ywe Gou and stabbed it into Cassie's thigh, pinning her to the now shattering mirror.

Sarah coughed up more blood, turning back into Sarah.

Suddenly another mirror appeared.

The kind that stood up and was for dancing in front of. It had a beautiful silver frame that wound around its face like ocean waves.

"You may have gotten me, but only one of us is gonna make it through that mirror," Sarah coughed.

She stumbled over to it, slowly making progress as she made her way across the floor.

Cassie felt darkness swirling at the edges of her vision.

But if she let herself fall asleep, she'd never wake up.

The excruciating pains in her stomach and thigh were fading to dull aches, and she found she couldn't even muster the strength to lift her arm.

 _I have to_ , she told herself.

But she couldn't.

Sarah lifted one foot into the face of the mirror…"Say hi to Dad for me."

And everything in Cassie's vision went black.

* * *

Sam watched as Cassie opened her eyes and groaned as if she were in pain.

He finally sighed a breath of relief.

She glanced at him, biting her lip, and then at her wrist.

It stung from being cut.

She was dizzy but smells were reaching her nose.

The metallic stench of blood, the weird lilac sickly sweet smell of the oil that coated her body, the smell of the impala coming off the boys, and the soap Sam always used.

All reminders that she was alive, and in control.

She immediately leaned up and kissed Sam gently, weakly.

Sam kissed back, nuzzling her forehead, not caring that their whole family plus Gadreel were in the same room as them.

He pulled away to look at her face.

And froze when the eyes that stared back at him were brown, not blue.

"Nice to finally meet you all," She croaked weakly. "I'm Sarah."

Sam stared for a solid three seconds at the woman before him.

Then he lunged for her throat.


	56. Chapter 56: Fallout

Chapter 56

Fallout

"SAM!" It took all of Castiel's remaining strength to hold him back. "STOP! YOU CAN'T HURT HER!"

"It's not _her_ anymore," Gadreel said flatly, looking solemn. He felt nothing more than a slight pulsing of light. The remnants of Cassandra's grace.

Eventually, it'd be extinguished completely.

It was an effort for Sam to breathe.

And there they were. Those brown eyes that stared back at him, full of smug victory and malice.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Sam howled, tears streaming down his face as he clawed at Sarah, trying to get to her throat.

"DON'T!" Cas couldn't accept that his sister was gone.

What if she was still inside there somewhere, and Sam tore the vessel to shreds?

"She could still be in there!" Cas whimpered, finally pushing Sam to the side.

Dean looked first to his brother.

Sam was huffing and emitting nothing but fury and despair. He was so distraught his hands were shaking. "You're a murderer," he growled. "You fucking killed her," his words came out as guttural sounds.

Then he looked to his lover, Castiel.

If Sam was filled with fire and brimstone, Castiel was overwhelmed with sorrow and guilt. Dean reached an arm to Cas, which he took tightly and clung to.

He glared at the young girl that lay in front of them. _I'll end you for hurting them like this._

Sarah bit her lip. "If it makes you feel better, she really put up a fight." Despite being light headed from the loss of blood and her soul still healing from being stabbed, Sarah felt energized and decided to stand up from the bed. She winced but managed to stay upright and straighten herself out.

It was a wonder to have the ability to move on your own. She tried not to shriek with delight. "I know you loved her," Sarah confessed, "But all I did was take back what was stolen from me."

"Chick, this is _so_ not the time to be talking," Dean said sternly, holding Castiel against him.

His attachment to the first blade had distanced the connection Dean had to his emotions, for the most part.

But one thing had managed to stay intact.

Dean gently sat Castiel down into a chair, nuzzled him, then strolled over to her slowly until he was looking Sarah dead in the eyes. "We don't really give a damn if you won the fight fair and square or whatever the hell," he began, "All that matters is you took a life. You took out one of our own, and I'm not gonna stand for that."

Sarah smirked and crossed her arms. "I've seen you through her eyes. You two are keepers of the peace, right? You kill monsters, not people. That's your motto: Saving People, Hunting Things."

Dean scowled and finally, the smug smile vanished from Sarah's face.

"Just because our job is to protect people that doesn't mean we've never killed anyone before," he said in a dangerous tone. "Make no mistake: The only reason you're still standing and not six feet under is there's a chance that Cassie is still in there somewhere. That is the only meal ticket you've got."

Sarah didn't dare breathe. Despite Dean's intense glare, her eyes flickered up to Sam's.

They were cold and dark and filled with hatred.

Sarah expected him to be depressed and upset but not this.

His stare was _murderous_.

His eyes went around the room, taking in the symbols on the walls, Cassie's blood dripping onto the floor…

This had been the room he'd first made love to her in.

And now it was the scene of her murder.

But Sam hadn't considered the possibility that Cassie could still be somewhere inside.

He clung to that hope, and it allowed him to breathe.

The moment he'd collected himself, he marched over to Sarah and cupped her face in his hands.

She gasped, and felt her heart stop.

 _There's the soft brown eyes I was looking for_ , she thought. _That hot, smoldering gaze I'd seen so many times before through someone else's eyes._

Cassie fell for him before Sarah ever did, but she felt that same stirring in her stomach. The kind that made her want to run and puke at the same time.

His voice was soft and intimate. "Cassie, if you're still in there somewhere, come back to me. I know you can. You're strong and brave and amazing. You can do anything you set your mind to, Love. I'll be waiting for you." He released his grip on Sarah's face.

 _Fuck!_ Sarah held back a gasp and stared at him in horror. She was _not_ expecting that.

People not knowing that you existed was one thing.

But when someone knew you were present, and refused to acknowledge you, that was so much worse.

"What the hell, Sam," she cried, unable to stop her eyes from watering. "All I did was fight so I could live! I'm a person too!" She shrieked those last words.

All he did was look at her over his shoulder in reply.

He was so damn sexy. Every inch of him from his chocolate brown hair that curled around his ears, to the long, strong legs that had run to save her so many times.

Sarah had him memorized, too.

But this was just too much. Sam was one of the most loving, considerate people she'd ever seen through Cassie's eyes.

And he hated her.

"One of these days you're gonna have to get over this," Sarah said, her voice trembling. "It was never going to work anyway. A supernatural being who'd outlive you? Half-creature offspring? You need to get yourself a real woman." _Like me._ There. She'd said it.

What she'd been dying to say for the past three months.

Sam carried a neutral expression, but his eyes were burning coals. "Well, when you find one, let me know."

Sarah winced, finally averting her eyes and staring at the floor. _Asshole._

Gadreel sighed, rubbing his temple with his hand. "Great. No Angel Army, No Cassandra the Duel Wielder, and now there are two murderous Winchesters who lack self-control as opposed to one."

Castiel couldn't stop looking at the woman who used to be his sister.

It looked somewhat like her, and sounded a bit like her, but it wasn't.

The roots of her hair were already turning blonde.

Dean scowled at that last comment. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know self-control was what you were going for. I thought you wanted results, and Metatron's head on a stake."

"Don't talk Angel politics in front of the girl," Castiel said numbly. "She doesn't need to be involved."

Sarah simmered. _Oh, fuck this_! "That's bullshit! I have been present the whole time of knowing you all. I know what's going on, I've seen it through Cassie's…through…" she sighed. "I'm not an idiot. There's no reason you can't just keep me in the loop."

"Actually, there's plenty of reasons," Dean stepped in and to everyone's shock, he pulled out the First Blade.

 _No._ Castiel tensed and clung to Dean's arm but Dean still advanced. "You don't know how to fight like Cassie did, and you're not an Angel, like Cassie was. _That_ means, you have nothing to do with this war, you are _no_ help to us at all, and you can keep your tongue in your mouth, or I'll _cut it off_!"

Castiel grimaced. "Dean, you don't have to be so – "

" – Relax, Constantine, I can handle one brute with a giant tooth-sword," Sarah said, staring Dean right in the eyes.

And suddenly, Gadreel, Castiel and Sarah all at the same time winced as loud words echoed in their heads.

" _Hello? This is Metatron."_

* * *

Cassie woke up, disoriented and weak to the sound of a person speaking.

She immediately recognized the voice as Metatron's.

" _I'd like to take a moment to welcome you all back,"_ he began. _"I want you to know how moved I am, that you've accepted me as your new God."_

Cassie coughed up more blood, still pinned to the reflective surface of her consciousness.

"I have?" She thought out loud, but then realized that was wrong.

She didn't accept Metatron.

She _hated_ Metatron.

"Come on get up," she told herself through gritted teeth but her leg still throbbed with pain and her stomach was wet and sticky to the touch.

 _I should be dead,_ she thought.

She made the Angel blade in her body materialize back into her watch, clutching it to her chest.

She _had_ been dead, but Metatron woke her up.

" _My heart, as they say, is full. Which is why I want to share some wonderful news with you."_

"Shut up," she said out loud. _How the hell can I even hear him, anyway?_

He wasn't talking to her directly, because he was addressing all of the other Angels.

Wait…if it was _all_ the angels _including_ **her** …

* * *

Castiel and Gadreel stood stock still, listening.

" _I'm going on a short trip. Heaven's door will be temporarily closed pending my return. But rest assured, all will be explained."_

They both looked at each other.

" _And it will be…._ _ **glorious.**_ _"_

"What the hell is he talking about?" Sarah asked. Shaking her head to get the voice to stop.

It did.

Castiel's head snapped up so quick that no one even caught it. " _You_ heard Metatron, too? How is that possible?"

Gadreel shrugged. "When I left he was developing some type of radioing system where all other signals would be blocked except for the transmission of his own voice. It's possible he could be communicating to humans as well."

Dean shook his head. "I didn't hear anything."

Sam let his heart skip a beat. "I didn't hear him either," his voice was soft. _Could it be..?_

At that comment, a wide grin spread across Castiel's face. "It's Cassandra." Tears spilled over onto his cheeks. "She's still alive." He clung to Dean and laughed. "Yes! That can be the only explanation! Sarah's tapped into angel radio because Cassandra's antenna is still picking up signals."

"There's still hope," Gadreel said quietly, unable to hold back a small smile. "I think there is a chance Cassandra may come back. I just hope she doesn't take her time about it."

Sam finally allowed himself to look back up at Sarah.

To her astonishment, he smiled.

But his next words were knives.

"That's my girl," he whispered.

* * *

Her grace was still intact if she could hear broadcasts meant for Angels exclusively.

This gave Cassie the motivation to look down at herself.

She stared at Suan Ywe Gou, wedged into her leg.

If she let herself stay like this, her wounds could get infected.

Or wait, did it work like that in the non-physical plane?

"I don't know," she said out loud, almost ready to cry.

But so far there was only one option available to her.

She needed to be mobile, which meant the blade had to come out.

"Sam," was all she said to herself. It's what she said when she grabbed Suan Ywe Gou's hilt, clenched it tight, and pulled.

Tears were flowing freely now and she bit down on her lip so hard it was bleeding. "GAAHH!" She screamed, but the blade finally came out and clattered to the floor.

She took off her flannel shirt so she was in a light blue tank top.

She tore the dark blue long sleeved shirt into strips. One strip was tied tightly to stop bleeding, and the rest were to bandage the wound and keep it protected.

But she couldn't bring herself to stand up.

When she tried, she groaned in pain and fell over, face-to-face with her reflection.

She was covered in blood. It was caked under her fingernails, dribbling down her chin, and soaked her stomach. Her hair was matted and knotty, and she realized her wrists and hands were wrapped in some kind of black cloth, like a warrior.

Upon closer inspection of where the pain was coming from, the Angel blade that Sarah had stabbed her with went through her ribs, not her stomach.

 _That's why I'm still alive_ , she thought. _It was just a flesh wound_.

But that didn't mean that the cut didn't hurt like a motherfucker.

"Whoa, you don't look so good," a male voice said.

She gasped and flipped around so she was lying on her back, looking up.

There was a scruffy looking man with a shaggy brown beard, dressed in ripped ill-fitting jeans, and a blank gray t-shirt.

"The hell?" Cassie remembered reading somewhere that whenever people had dreams that had other people in them, the people (whether the dreamer knew it or not) were always people that the dreamer knew, whether by association or otherwise.

A dreamer couldn't conjure up people who they'd never met before. Celebrities and movie stars were the exceptions.

Going by that principle, Cassie must have met this man sometime in her life, or at the very least seen him on T.V.

But she couldn't for the life of her figure out where.

He reached a hand out to her.

Assistance in standing back up. That was good. It meant he was someone she could trust.

"It's gonna hurt, and it's gonna be hard, but you have to try," he said.

She nodded, but stared at his hand a moment.

Something about it felt so familiar, like she'd held it before.

Without another moment of hesitation, she firmly took hold of his hand with both of hers and moaned with pain as she finally made it to a standing position.

"You continue to renew my faith in you, Cassandra. Or do you prefer Cassie? I find I prefer my nickname over my original alias as well."

The more he spoke, the more confusing he became. "Cassie's good," she said. "How do you know my name? Have we met before?"

He smiled sadly. "Oh, yeah. We go back a long ways."

 _Weird,_ she thought. "What do you mean, your faith in me?"

The man smiled. "No matter the circumstance, you always do the right thing, without even thinking about it."

 _Oh jeez._ "That's not how I feel," she said. "I've screwed up a lot." _The concert hall, my family, Sarah…Failing to kill her and_ _ **aspiring**_ _to kill her…_

The man shrugged. "I've had my share of failures as well. But through it all, your heart has managed to stay in the right place."

Now it was Cassie's turn to shrug. "I'd like to think so."

All of a sudden the man grinned, like he was about to tell her a big secret he wasn't supposed to share. "You wanna find out?"

He reached a hand out again, to shake.

She looked at it, unsure of where this was going. But surely she'd know if this man was trouble, and all she picked up from him was that he wanted to help her.

 _Help me get back to Sam? And the others? Help me awaken my grace?_

Maybe none of it.

Maybe all of it.

She glanced at him, then back at his hand.

She took it.

It was warm and calloused, as if from years of construction. She also got the vibe that he had been a father. Most men shake as though they're trying to figure out which person could crush the other's fingers. But his handshake was loose and tender, like he was used to caring for children.

"Who are you?" She asked.

He pulled away and snapped his fingers. They had left Cassie's mindscape and were now inside a small café in the dead of winter. "I've been known by a lot of different names," he confessed, "But you can call me Chuck."


	57. Chapter 57: Tutorial 1

Chapter 57

Tutorial 1

Once the scene in Cassie's room was tidied up, they all walked back to Brontes' Jewelry store to get back to the Impala, Sarah in tow.

The boys didn't have a choice.

If Cassie was trapped in Sarah's vessel, _alive,_ they _had_ to take Sarah with them back to the bunker.

She took it upon herself to sit promptly in the front passenger seat of the impala. Maybe she could get a response out of Sam, even if he was angry.

So far he wasn't taking notice.

All four boys were watching a video on someone's smartphone, and their eyes all went wide at the same time.

They all looked up at each other. "Marv?" Dean worded, and shook his head.

Sarah scowled and crossed her arms, remembering Dean's accusation of her being useless.

 _I can fight,_ she thought to herself. _I thought that would be obvious. I wouldn't be standing here as_ _ **myself**_ _if that weren't the case._

She continued to watch as Sam and Dean inaudibly communicated, apparently debating on what the meaning of the video could be.

Who said she even had to stay with them anyway? Either Cassie came back or she didn't, and if she didn't, they were going to kick her to the curb.

But at the same time, indirectly, these boys were the only family she had.

She'd watched how they bickered and fought but also loved and laughed through Cassie's eyes.

Maybe someday they could learn to love her too.

Otherwise, what was the point?

"I could find my mother," she thought out loud. But the way Cassie had left things the last time they'd interacted, she doubted there'd be a warm welcome. Plus her mother was a drifter, it'd be impossible to even _find_ her at this point.

"A drifter," Sarah said to herself and scoffed. _Yeah, the one thing Cassie and my mother had in common._

She couldn't try going back to school. When Cassie was in school, Sarah found that she often tuned herself out and let Cassie do all the work. Sarah would surely fail out of school.

And she couldn't get a job without a high school education. Even _McDonalds_ won't hire you without a diploma.

Being a child, loving Mommy and Daddy, kissing your first boy, those were the easy days. Twenty-two was a sucky age to come into this world. "My best years were taken from me," she mumbled, looking out the car up to the sky, then stopped herself and scowled.

That's what Cassie used to do: look up at the sky.

She did that _all_ the time. When she walked down long highways to get to the next town, she'd look at the sky ahead of her and not the road. During summers of roaming around homeless, she'd lay in fields and ignore the various insects that flew around her, staring up at the stars until she fell asleep.

Most of all, when it was autumn, and the air was cold enough to raise goosebumps but not enough to take the breath out of your lungs.

On _those_ days Cassie ran.

She'd start jogging, but it would quickly break into a sprint, and then she was laughing and shrieking for joy and breathless.

She'd always aim the tip of her foot towards the sky, and stare at its open expanse with the most determined gaze.

"For what?" Sarah said out loud, shaking her head. Why was she always looking towards the sky? Looking for something? A sign? Looking for God? For answers?

No. Sarah knew now.

Cassie had been looking for a way to fly.

* * *

Cassie looked around, clutching her arm out of shyness and shifting her weight so most of it was on her other leg.

This café was familiar.

The walls were glass, so she could see snow starting to fall as people shuffled back and forth, getting out of the cold.

She felt a stab of unease.

She knew exactly what day this was.

A young girl stumbled through the cold before finally making it through the door of the café and plopping herself on a table.

She wore a torn grey wool trench coat and beat up converse over faded jeans and a bulky brown knitted sweater.

Her dark purple backpack was strapped to her shoulders, soaked through with snow.

Chuck put his hands in his pants pockets. "This was your first winter on your own, right?"

Cassie nodded without a word.

If she focused she could still feel how much her fingers hurt. How clenched together they were from the cold.

She'd barely had the dexterity to dig two dollars' worth of coins from her bag.

Once she did, the young Cassandra walked up the counter, pointing to the hot coffee on the Menu board.

The barista nodded, pouring her hot, black coffee and taking the two dollars.

"Back then I was even paranoid to speak," Cassie admitted to Chuck. "The concert was being recorded when we were performing. If they played it on the news, they'd know what my voice sounded like. Or at least that was my assumption."

But she couldn't go without speaking forever.

The young Cassie sat back down at the table, chugging the coffee, even though it was scorching hot.

The coffee got cold before she could finish it. Cold like the air outside. She turned to the right and looked, dreading the idea of walking back into it.

And suddenly her expression grew firm and resilient.

She refused to go back out there.

The young Cassie marched up to the counter and spoke bluntly. "I want to work here."

The aproned redhead's eyes widened. "We aren't really – "

" – I know I don't look it, but I'm smart and I learn quickly. I'll do anything. Take out trash, wipe down tables, serve drinks, clean off tables, anything."

The barista gave her a once over and sighed. "I'm sorry, but this is a family-run place, we don't have money to pay you."

Cassie nodded. "I don't need money. Just someplace warm with food."

The barista bit her lip in thought. "Are you serious?"

"The cold is just going to get worse," Cassie explained. "I can't stay outside any longer or I'll freeze to death."

The barista got this look on her face as if to say, "That's not really my problem."

"Just let me work the night shift," Cassie compromised. That was better. The night was the coldest time of day. She could brave daylight hours in the cold.

But being outside overnight was a death sentence.

The barista shook her head. "This is a _café_ , there _is_ no night shift. We close at 7."

Cassie sighed, but then breathed sharply in.

Her attention was diverted to a group of young boys outside.

There was one boy in the middle, smaller than the rest, getting pushed around and held down.

Without thinking, Cassie bolted outside to help, groaning out loud from the pain of the cold.

But by the time she got there, the boys had left, leaving the one boy out in the snow on the ground.

She helped him get up but then he flinched away and took a few steps backwards, breathing hard.

"Why did they do that?!" Cassie demanded.

The young boy' cheeks were flushed and his eyes were wet. "T-they took my five dollars," he said.

Young Cassie looked at the boy, then the café and spoke gently. "Were you going to buy something here?" she gestured to the café's door.

He nodded. "Hot chocolate and a muffin for breakfast tomorrow," he admitted.

Chuck smiled, knowing what was going to happen next.

Young Cassie hesitantly reached a hand out for the boy to take.

The words were in his eyes. _Stranger Danger._

But he couldn't help himself.

He took her hand, and Cassie led him inside the café.

Once they'd made it to her table, Young Cassie dug through her bag to find her secret stash of emergency money.

She pulled out her last five singles, and handed them to the boy. "Here," she said.

The boy's eyes lit up and he immediately ran over to the counter, requesting the muffin and hot chocolate.

The barista looked at the boy, the five dollars in his hand, then back at Cassie.

Young Cassie looked back and shrugged.

"See?" Chuck said. "That boy probably gets an allowance once a week, if not every day. But you gave him your last five dollars. You brightened his day by showing him kindness, he didn't go hungry the next day, and you renewed his self-confidence as well as his faith in other people."

Cassie smiled at how happy the young boy was, and turned to Chuck. "Others might have called it foolish, not kind."

"It was selfless," Chuck countered. "As an Angel _should_ be."

Cassie and Chuck watched as the barista bit her lip in thought, then waved Cassie over to the counter.

She crossed her arms when Cassie made it there. "I really don't have any jobs available right now. But if you're looking for a warm place, how does Florida sound?"

Young Cassie's eyes widened. Florida. That was a word she'd written down on a geography test, not a place. "I don't understand."

"My fiancée is a semi-driver. Anthony runs supplies all along the East Coast. He comes into town tonight to unload our supplies and check in with me, then his next stop is Kissimmee. I'll talk to him, and you can hitch a ride."

And there it was. The act of kindness that saved Cassandra's life.

She shook her head in disbelief and started crying. "W-why…" she began, but she was too grateful to finish.

The barista couldn't hold back a small smile. "You're supposed to pay it forward, right?"

* * *

"Metatron is drawing power from the Angel tablet. That's how he's able to resurrect people, like that woman," Gadreel explained.

Castiel was the one to ask. "Where does he keep the tablet?"

Gadreel sighed. "In his office."

Cas raised an eyebrow. "In Heaven?"

Gadreel nodded. "The only way to get rid of his power would be to destroy it, which requires getting into Heaven, finding the tablet and – "

" – That's impossible," Dean said, shaking his head. "Do you even know how to get in?"

Gadreel clenched his jaw. "Yes. The entrance is guarded by two Angels, Metatron's most trusted followers, and they are the only ones who can open it."

"Oh great, that sounds feasible," Dean mumbled, and felt a pit in his stomach when Castiel's eyes lit up.

 _What are you planning, Angel?_ He thought.

Castiel bit his lip. "What if you had a hostage to bring in? Like a prisoner of war?"

Sam crossed his arms. "Cas?" He asked gently.

"Like the leader of the Resistance, for example?" He provided with a grin. "Wookie."

Dean sighed and Sam smirked at the reference, but Gadreel just stared blankly. "Brother, I do not understand what you mean."

Cas shrugged. "It's a reference to a very popular film…" he trailed off. "Never mind."

Dean's jaw was tight. "Cas, can I talk to you for a minute?" The implied _just us_ was hanging between the four of them like a neon sign.

Sam and Gadreel both nodded, walking off to the other side of the parking lot.

Once they'd walked away, Dean said, "I don't like this."

Cas reached a hand out towards him. "Dean – "

" – No!" He pulled away. "This is dangerous! I can't let you put yourself at risk like this!"

"My grace is weakening more and more by the day," Castiel admitted reluctantly. "This is the only way I can be of use in the fight."

Cas had a point there, but that just made the situation worse. "Right. So you're gonna let _Scotty_ over there beam you up when your tank is runnin' on empty and then what? What happens when your plan goes south? What happens to y – "

Dean stopped and clutched his stomach, coughing hard _. What the hell?!_ He thought, but all of a sudden he was dizzy and nauseous.

He coughed up a red, sticky substance onto the pavement.

He stared.

Blood.

"Dean!" Cas exclaimed, rushing to him.

Dean pushed him. "NO! DO NOT!" He coughed more. "Do. Not. Heal. Me. You can't."

"I don't care if it burns out my – "

" – That's not what I mean," Dean said in a hoarse voice. "This isn't something you can heal." He wasn't sure how he knew that, but he did.

"Is it the blade?" Cas said quietly, but Dean gritted his teeth, wiping his mouth on his jacket sleeve.

"I'll be fine," he lied.

Cas shook his head. "Gadreel will take you back to the Bunker so you can rest," he said.

"You should rest too," Dean said, and then smirked. "You should _rest_ with me," his voice was suggestive but Cas just sighed.

"Neither of us are healthy enough for such a strenuous activity," Cas said, clearing his throat.

That didn't mean he didn't want to.

Gadreel and Sam came back over when they heard Dean coughing. "Dean!" Sam yelled. "What's going on?"

Castiel took charge. "Gadreel, send Dean back to the Bunker. He needs to rest."

Dean scowled. "Angel, I swear to god if you – "

But Gadreel pressed a hand to Dean's arm and he was already gone.

Castiel swallowed. "Good," he said, not feeling it at all.

"So…that's the plan? You guys are going to…" Sam looked between the two of them.

Castiel nodded. "Gadreel and I will infiltrate Heaven and do what needs to be done. Your only concern is watching over the vessel."

Sam winced but nodded. "Yeah," he said reluctantly. "Well…good luck, man." Sam quickly hugged Castiel and nudged Gadreel with his arm. "Good luck to both of you."

"You too, Gadreel said. He grabbed Castiel's arm –

And they were gone.

Sam walked to the Impala, using his copy of the key to start up the ignition.

Metallica started playing as the car turned back on, and Sam backed up the car to get back on the road.

Sarah sighed and crossed her arms. "I hate Metallica," she declared.

Sam didn't say anything in reply.

He didn't like Metallica, either.


	58. Chapter 58: Tutorial 2

Chapter 58

Tutorial 2

The Impala made it to Utica, New York.

Then all of a sudden there was a pop and it swerved.

"Crap!" Sam yelled and immediately slammed his foot on the brake. Once the car stopped, there was a noticeable height difference between the front end of the car and the back end.

"A damn flat," he muttered to himself.

"Do you guys keep a spare?" Sarah asked.

Sam didn't reply, unbuckling his belt and taking a deep breath.

Sarah clenched her teeth and scoffed. "You can't keep ignoring me," she said, deciding to look directly at him for the first time in five hours.

"Actually, yes I can," Sam said, but his words were a relief.

Sarah cleared her throat. "Do you know why it bothers me when a person doesn't answer me after I've spoken?" Sarah tried to say in an even voice.

But she felt heat rising up her neck and tears threateningly prodding from the back of her eyes.

Sam still didn't answer.

She said this next part quietly. "Because it reminds me of the first two decades of my life when I didn't have a voice at all."

Sam sighed, deciding to finally say what he'd been holding back. "Look, other than the fact you would've turned out to be some party sorority girl if Cassie hadn't kept you on the straight and narrow, under normal circumstances, I may have been able to tolerate you."

 _Ooooh shit_ , Sarah held her breath.

"But the thing is…you killed my girlfriend. The woman I was ready to spend the rest of my life with, whatever little of it I've got left. The last person to kill the woman I loved was a demon named Azazel…and without going into detail, he's not exactly _around_ anymore."

 _Oh right, I forgot. Sam and Dean actually_ _ **kill**_ _shit. Like,_ _ **bad**_ _shit._

Demons, vampires, what have you.

"So I apologize for not being very _talkative_ ," he snapped, "but due to the current situation – "

" – Okay, okay, yeah I know," Sarah crossed her arms. "You hate my guts, I get it. Even though if _you_ were put in the same position, you would've done _exactly_ the same thing."

Sam gritted his teeth. "And what exactly _is_ it that you did? I've been dying to know," Sam's fury and pain were boiling much closer to the surface now. He turned to her, finally making eye contact.

 _ **Jesus**_ _if looks could kill,_ she thought _._

Sam's eyes were filled with complete affirmation. "Cassie loves me."

"Loved," Sarah corrected.

" _Loves_ ," Sam said, refusing to believe she was gone. "She has Dean, and her brother. People who need her. That would've been motivation enough to do whatever it took to take you down. So what did you have to pull to win?"

Sarah bit her lip. If she told him, he'd want to kill himself.

"Sir?" There was a knock on the driver's window.

Sam was startled out of his reverie. He cleared his throat as he rolled the window down to speak to the officer.

"Is everything okay, here?" The cop asked. He was on the older side of the spectrum. Graying hair, a teddy-Roosevelt style mustache and definitely had consumed a beer or two back in the day.

Sam shook his head. "We just got a flat. Do you know of any auto repair places that sell tires?"

The cop raised an eyebrow. "You don't keep a spare in your trunk?"

Sam stiffened, then Sarah realized…

 _No, because they keep enough artillery in there to plunder and pillage the entire New York Stock Exchange._

"That _was_ the spare," Sam laughed, feigning an easy-going aura, but one glance at the cop's keys dangling on his hip were all he focused on. "We're on our way back to Columbus, Ohio. We met up with some of our buds in Albany who started at the University up there."

"Are you kiddin' me?!" The cop exclaimed and laughed. "My wife and I lived in Columbus until about five years ago. We moved here to be closer to our grandkids, bless their hearts."

"Holy cow, small world, huh?" Sam laughed.

"Yeah, no kiddin'," the police officer bent down so he was at Sam's level. "Well, you know, I could give you two a lift if all you need is a tire. You got the tools for changing it an' all?"

"Oh, definitely," Sam confirmed, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"Well," The cop pointed up the highway, "there's an auto repair place called Sal's if you take exit 5 on I-90 and cross the Mohawk River. It's about a five minute drive from here, shouldn't take too long."

"That would be great," Sam nodded.

Sarah thought for a minute. _Even though it's only five minutes, we shouldn't leave the car here. What if other policeman come by and decide to inspect it?_ "If it's only five minutes, I don't mind staying here," Sarah said, looking to Sam.

He shot Sarah a glare over his shoulder as he was exiting the car. "It's no big deal, no one's gonna drive off with this thing if it's got a flat." Sam's tone was lighthearted but she felt him shooting daggers at her.

Sarah faltered. _Shit what do I do?_

The policeman shrugged. "It really won't take long, there's no harm in her stayin," he offered.

Sam was in a jam. He needed to keep an eye on her in case Cassie came back or Sarah decided to do something stupid, like run away. And if something happened to Cassie's vess – _Sarah,_ it would harm Cassie too.

But at the same time, it wasn't a good idea to let an arsenal on wheels go any length of time without being attended to.

Dean would _kill_ Sam if something happened to Baby. It was bad enough he had to explain shelling out $80 to get a new tire.

Sam sighed. "Okay, I'll be back soon. In case you get hungry, there's trail mix in the glove box," Sam said with a smile, and walked off with the policeman to his vehicle.

Once the car got on the road and sped off, Sarah locked herself in the car and hesitantly opened the glove box.

What fell into her lap was a Smith & Wesson Model 29.

She flinched and gaped at the sight before her. _That's_ _ **definitely**_ _not trail mix._

* * *

Chuck leaned back with his hands in his pockets and suddenly time fast-forwarded. The world around them shifted and spun like reels of film.

It was significantly warmer.

A seventeen-year-old Cassie walked barefoot along a boardwalk, in shorts and a bikini top, munching on a fresh orange she'd snagged from a food stand, not a care in the world.

"Kissimmee," Cassie recalled, smirking at her younger self.

Months of living on the run, afraid to speak and darting past people, just to be out in the open carelessly strolling around without shoes.

Florida changes people.

"Now I gotta tell ya, when I witnessed _this_ , I was a bit surprised."

Cassie raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking a – "

"SShhh! SHH! It's happening!" Chuck said, waving his hand.

Cassie fell silent, and watched.

The boardwalk started to get quiet as the sun began its descent under the horizon. Crickets, Cicadas and narrowmouths all started singing their songs to find mates. Cassie slept on a section of the beach where she wouldn't be disturbed once she'd slipped past the fence, and that's where she'd been heading.

But Cassie's heart stopped and she froze at the sounds of a woman screaming.

Her instinct was to run the opposite direction.

But she couldn't.

She darted soundlessly through the night, growing closer and closer to the source of the sound.

What she saw froze her in place.

There was a Cuban woman crying and screaming, trying to get away from a man holding her and shaking her by the hem of her dress.

He yelled at her in Spanish.

Cassie had picked up a few Spanish words while living in Florida. She caught the words _dinero_ and _donde._

Without another moment's hesitation, she strolled up and started shouting. "Hey! Stop! Leave her alone _! Parar! Parar_!"

The man glared in outrage at Cassie. Before she could blink he'd whipped out a revolver from the back of his pants and clicked the hammer back to fire.

Cassie stopped, raising her hands up.

"Walk away, _gringa,_ " the man said, " _Esto no tiene nada que ver con usted_."

He'd released his grip on the woman, and now had both hands on the revolver, pointed at Cassie's face.

The woman gawked at the gun from behind him. She'd had no idea he was carrying one.

Young Cassie trembled, unable to stop staring at the gun's muzzle.

Her instincts had been right.

She shouldn't have followed the sound, she shouldn't have gotten involved.

But if Cassie had been given the choice, she would've made the same decision all over again.

Because this much was clear: The man wanted something. Something the woman didn't have, and he was going to hurt her until he got what he wanted.

Cassie couldn't let that happen.

Tears streamed down her face but she didn't scream or call out for help. " _Irte_!" She shouted to the woman, meaning _leave._

The woman stared at Cassie, unbelieving. " _Usted no tiene que hace esta_ …" she said softly.

Young Cassie didn't know the meaning of the words, but she knew what the woman was saying. " _Irte_ ," she said again, looking past the gun to the woman.

The woman nodded, murmuring gracias and _hada_ over and over as she ran down the dock and disappeared.

" _Mierda_ ," the man snapped, glaring back up at Cassie, then blinking in confusion.

Cassie froze in terror. She knew what that look meant.

"Hey…you're that _adolescenta_ from the news, aren't you?" He said, walking closer to her.

Cassie couldn't move.

Any movement could motivate him to pull the trigger.

But this was very bad.

He recognized her, which meant once she got away from this man she'd have to leave the state of Florida.

 _If_ she got away.

"The one who killed all those people…" he looked at her as if she were an exotic animal he wanted to take down and mount on his wall.

She hated this. This feeling of helplessness and fear.

"My friends back home would be pretty impressed if I managed to _matare_ a mass murderer," he said with a grin.

Cassie knew that word. It was dangerously close to the word _Muerto._

Adult Cassie would've thought her way out of the situation. She would've said any combination of words it took to get. Out. Of there.

But teenage Cassie barely had the strength to stand upright.

Without knowing it, she starting praying. Begging God for a way out of this.

She didn't want to leave Florida, she didn't want to die and she didn't want to hurt this man.

But which option was less painful?

She started looking around the dock for anything that could be of use.

She spotted a fish hook.

It would have to be enough.

Cassie got down on her knees in front of the man, her hands still up, but her peripheral vision glued to the fish hook, just inches away.

"Oh, ho, I _like_ you in this position," the man said and started to laugh, looking off to the side.

That was her opening.

With lightning speed she grabbed the hook and jammed it into the man's left thigh.

"GGAHAHHHH!" He screamed and the gun tumbled onto the dock as he clutched his leg.

He lunged for Cassie but she stiffened her right arm, grabbed her right wrist with her left hand and then using it as a ramming tool, and banged her arm into the side of the man's right leg.

He fell off the dock to the side, and splashed into the water.

Once he was in, Cassie kicked the gun to the other side of the dock so it splashed into the ocean, and was lost in its depths.

She collapsed onto the deck on her back, breathing hard.

Cassie's cheeks flushed. _I'd completely forgotten about this_ , she thought. It had been so long ago and soon afterward she'd snuck onto a semi which ended up in Indiana.

Chuck wagged his finger. "Now _this,_ is my favorite part." He watched on with a smile.

Young Cassie had peace for maybe a four seconds.

But then the man's head popped up from the water and he was gasping, flailing around. " _No se nada! No se nada! No se nada!"_

Cassie got up onto her knees and stared.

The man was drowning.

He didn't know how to swim.

Somehow, a huge wad of guilt had formed in her stomach.

She had two choices.

Let him die, and she could stay in Florida. None would be the wiser that a killer was living among them.

Or save him, and never come back.

And potentially get beaten to death or worse.

She'd meet him halfway.

Cassie reached an arm over the dock, outstretching her hand. " _tómalo_ ," she said calmly.

The man stared at her, his eyes overcome with desperation, containing none of the dominatrix swagger he'd had before.

He immediately grabbed her hand. Cassie used all of her remaining strength to pull him out onto the dock.

The man lied on all fours, coughing up water and hanging his head.

Cassie sighed, placing her hand on the back of her neck.

She'd gone from victim to savior in a span of four minutes.

Young Cassie started to walk away, and she was a good distance from the man before he called out to her. " _Espere!"_

She turned around.

"Why did you save me?"

Cassie shrugged. "I just wanted to help that woman. And when you pulled that gun on me," she cleared her throat, still shaken from it, "I just wanted to get away. I didn't know you couldn't swim."

The man scoffed and shook his head. "What would it matter to you if I drowned? Eh? You don't know me. Aren't you supposed to be some kind of killer or something?"

Cassie turned to walk away so that she was enveloped in shadow. "You must have me confused with someone else. I don't know what you're talking about."

The scene ended, and Cassie was back in her mindscape with Chuck, the reflective mirror surface of the world around her magically wiped clean of blood.

" _That_ ," Chuck gestured, "Was definitely among your greatest highlights."

Cassie frowned. "I ran away after that, worried about being caught. I was a coward."

Chuck scrunched his face in thought. "Ehh…cowardice and self-preservation are definitely in the same ballpark," he agreed, "But there was nothing cowardly about what you did."

Cassie raised an eyebrow.

"First," Chuck started to pace, "You got involved in a conflict that had nothing to do with you, and saved the life of a complete stranger, putting your own life on the line. That was _brave_. Then…despite not having any reason at all to believe in God, you reached out to him for help, which indicates that even though you're skeptical, you trust in him. You were willing to give your life because you trusted that through it all, you'd make it out okay."

Cassie had never thought about it that way. Saving that woman was just something she'd had to do. She couldn't let her be abused by that man. And she'd prayed out fo desperation. She didn't even realize she'd been doing it.

"Lastly, when you discovered that you'd unintentionally put the man's life in jeopardy, you pulled him back from the brink despite the fact that half a minute earlier, he was trying to _kill_ you, and most likely do worse."

Cassie was silent, looking at Chuck in surprise.

"Benevolence," he gave it a name. "You proved yourself to be kind, forgiving, trusting and brave. As well as selfless."

Cassie scoffed. "But throughout my life I've been anything but pious. I mean, _thou shalt not steal?_ Yeah, I shot _that_ commandment to hell. Not to mention _thou shalt not kill, honor your mother and father_ , never mind the whole taking his name in _vain_ thing – "

" – Those commandments are for humans," Chuck pointed out. "And they're mostly a guideline. Heck, the Catholics have hundreds of other commandments that God didn't even write."

Cassie shifted her weight so it wasn't on her right leg very much. "I'm not the flawless Angel Warrior that everyone thinks I am," she confessed. "I'm selfish, I let my emotions control me, I put my love for Sam at the top of my priority list, even when I shouldn't…I've lied, I've stolen, I was willing to kill an innocent girl so I could keep my life – "

" – But don't you understand?" Chuck held her by the sides of her arms. "If any other Angel were put in that position, they would've killed Sarah without a second thought. But morally, you've been struggling with this for _months,_ even though she's been _hurting_ you during that entire time."

Cassie didn't know what to say.

Chuck smiled. "You have a high regard for human life, and for all of God's creations. Nowadays, God's been AWOL so Angels have been taking drastic measures to regain some illusion of control. There's wars, Angels fighting for power, there's corruption in all the Garrisons but _you_ ," he laughed, "You are fresh off the assembly line compared to the rest of them. You function the way you're supposed to, even though the energy you were created with was flawed."

Cassie raised an eyebrow, "Wait, how did y – "

" – Angels like Metatron and Anna…they are willing to _kill_ humans, even other Angels. _Their own family_ , to gain or keep power. Humans did that in _Biblical_ times, and _Angels_ have resorted to it."

"So then what can I do? I've been in the dark this whole time. I don't know anything about Angel politics or whatever, my grace has been dormant for two thousand years."

"Exactly," Chuck whispered excitedly. "That's your advantage."

Cassie sighed, suddenly feeling as though the whole world was depending on her. "I never wanted to be the world's savior. I'm just a silly girl in love. I can't stop a war."

Chuck shrugged. "No," he agreed. He snapped his fingers.

The mindscape disappeared and a new memory began. It was autumn time.

The wind tore at her red flannel shirt as Cassie ran along the highway, a huge grin on her face. The trees were every color between yellow and brown, flying through the air right along with her.

 _This was a few months ago,_ Cassie realized. Right before she met…

She was running and leaping, and as Cassie watched her past self, she could've sworn that there were instances where she wasn't touching the ground _at all_.

Chuck turned to the present Cassie with a knowing gaze. "But you can end it." He pressed a hand to Cassie's shoulder –

And suddenly all of her wounds were healed. Experimentally, she moved her injured leg forward and applied pressure.

She could walk freely and painlessly using both legs.

Cassie looked to Chuck, then down at her legs, and then back to watching her past self run through the air.

Like she was flying.

Chuck made a fist and placed it over Cassie's heart. " _Even youths grow tired and weary_ ," he recited, " _and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength."_ Chuck touched Cassie's watch and transformed it into her Angel blade, holding it out for her to take.

She gasped softly. _How did he do that?_ She slowly grasped its cool, solid hilt that had grown so familiar to her. Somehow, deep in her heart, she knew that she used to love flying.

Chuck nodded towards the blade. " _They will soar on wings like Eagles."_

He pointed to the memory behind them, Cassie running and smiling. _"They will run and not grow weary."_

Chuck pulled her arm forward so Cassie walked a few steps. She did so painlessly. He smiled. _"They will walk and not be faint."_


	59. Chapter 59: Shadow People

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I wanted to shoot a Thank you to everyone who still reads this story that I started almost a year ago now. It means a lot to still get your reviews and feedback. I also wanted to formally apologize for taking so long to upload a new chapter. I have a lot of ideas for new fanfics based on Soul Eater and even Possibly Suicide Squad (because who doesn't want more time with Harley & Mr. Jay?) as well as continuing my Sherlock Fanfic titled **_**Dinner Date.**_ **Things have just been crazy ever since school started up again and this time I'm continuing my Education at the University of Iowa (a Big Ten school) so I can be an Art Teacher** **I wish everyone happy reading, and this weekend. I'll be popping out chapters like hot cakes (hopefully.)**

 **-Alexis /XeroSanity**

Chapter 59

Shadow People

Sarah had never once in her life shot a gun. She'd never even _held_ one. Cassie hadn't shot one either. But she recalled something Dean had told Cassie a while back. Something like waving it around would be enough to get someone to back off.

And then she remembered something else.

It wasn't loaded.

Sarah felt sick to her stomach. _I should've just gone with him._ If a situation arose where she'd actually have to shoot someone/something, she wouldn't be able to. She was completely defenseless without Sam around. An unwilling damsel in distress.

She sat back against the seat, sighing and willing time to go faster. But she froze when she saw a blonde girl staring at her with chocolate brown eyes.

She was even more startled when she realized it was her.

The young woman hesitantly placed her fingertips to her cheek, then down to the soft plumpness of her lips, and was in awe when she found the reflection in the visor doing the exact same thing.

Cassie had been naturally beautiful, with stark blue eyes and dark hair, even though she'd never worn makeup.

But Sarah's looks were entirely different. Her hair had a natural wave and curl to it with brown highlights. Whether that was natural or the remnants of Cassie's hair, she wasn't sure.

It was such a shock to see what you looked like. For the first time. Sarah had been so used to Cassie's appearance that seeing her true form was unnerving.

Even her face shape was changing. Cassie's jaw was sculpted with sharp angles, making her look almost pixie-like. But Sarah's face was round and heart shaped, giving her a softer appearance.

Without realizing it, tears had sprung to her eyes.

And then her misty eyes grew into sobs.

Over twenty years. Twenty years her own body didn't belong to her. The full realization of what she had truly been robbed of came crashing down on her like a ton of bricks.

The worst part was that no one cared. And anyone who _could_ care, she could never tell.

They wouldn't believe her. How do you explain Angel possession? They'd either admit her to a psych ward or pass her off as someone with split personality disorder.

Sarah Trevelyan was no one. She didn't exist. Maybe she did for a time, but that hadn't even been her. If she went out into the world now, she would legally be known as Cassandra Hope Trevelyan.

A woman who dropped out of high school, had no work history, no connections, no friends, no one.

Cassie had possessed a spark, a special quality that made her stand out. She had been resilient, strong, relentless in survival and fierce in life.

Cassandra the Duel Wielder had a history. She had a family, friends, people who loved her, a place to call home, and a legacy to uphold.

Compared to all of that, Sarah was nothing. She was barely a shadow. An empty shell.

With no one around to hear her, Sarah took advantage of her solitude and let out a blood-curdling scream of anguish.

She'd never been able to cry or scream. Even as a baby, when Cassie was residing in her body.

It was freeing and at the same time overwhelming to finally have the freedom to express sadness and pain. Even that had been out of her reach for so long.

But the pain was too much. The screaming just went on, well after her throat was rubbed raw. The crying didn't stop. You couldn't weep two decades of tears in just an hour.

The gun in her hands suddenly felt very welcoming. The cool, lifeless metal of it was such a contrast to the searing hot mess that was her body.

Slowly, she raised it to her face. She checked it. There was definitely no ammunition.

But she could fantasize.

She pressed the tip of it to her forehead and held it there, shaking.

She finally stopped screaming and starting breathing again.

It'd be so easy. To end it. If only this beautiful metallic device had been loaded.

She didn't have the courage to place the tip of it in her mouth, as she'd seen it through Cassie's eyes. That's how they did it in the movies. But the forehead would have to do.

Sarah imagined pulling the trigger. What would it be like? Would she feel the bullet ripping through her brain tissue and coming out the other side, or would it happen too fast for her to process? Would there be darkness afterwards, or a hand stretched out waiting to take her to the next place? Would she end up in Hell?

It was a comforting thought. At least in Hell she'd be herself.

She didn't know how much time passed. Maybe two minutes, maybe two hours, staying in that position. Clutching the gun with both hands, her eyes shut. For the first time since she'd been conscious, she felt at peace, on the threshold of death.

But she gasped and was shaken from her calm state when there was a knock on the driver's window.

She didn't dare turn to see who it was. She didn't care. She just wanted to go back to that calm, quiet place where no one existed. Not Cassie or Sam or even Sarah.

Just a girl with closed eyes holding a gun to her forehead.

She heard a muffled "Sarah!" But still didn't turn.

There was some rummaging and then the driver's door clicked open.

"Sarah put it down," Sam's voice rang in her ears, soothing but firm at the same time.

And just like that, the tears started again. It was the first time she'd heard her own name come from his lips. It was torture.

She loved Sam too. Sam was so damn hot and caring and even though the memories didn't belong to her she still had them.

The way he smelled when Cassie woke up next to him in bed, the taste of his neck after he'd gotten out of the shower. The brown of his eyes, that little red coffee maker…none of it was hers.

But she had it regardless.

It was too much.

She pulled the trigger.

* * *

Sam had been dropped off by the policeman just down the road from where the car was. He would have taken Sam the whole way back, but he'd received a call about a break-in.

Once he made it back to the Impala, he immediately started the process of replacing the flat tire and made quick work of it. All of the clanging and opening and closing of the trunk went unnoticed by the passenger inside.

As Sam was about to enter the vehicle, it was then when he finally saw the horrific scene before him.

He was about to shout Cassie's name.

But the young girl in the car was blonde from root to tip and holding a gun to her forehead. It was still Sarah.

"Sarah!" He yelled, banging hard on the glass of the door outside. But she didn't even turn to look at him. She just started crying.

Sam was sure Dean never kept a loaded gun in the glove box that could harm a human, but he couldn't afford to take any chances. With quick and deft hands he unlocked the front door and slid into the booth seat, reaching out to take the gun but deciding against it.

It could go off if the safety wasn't on.

He couldn't risk losing Cassie.

Again.

If she was still inside there somewhere and Sarah killed herself, she'd take Cassie down with her.

That wasn't an option.

"Sarah," he began, barely able to keep his panic below the surface, "Sarah, put it down."

To Sam's complete shock, Sarah pulled the trigger.

But all it did was click.

Sam let out the breath he'd been holding. It wasn't loaded.

But his relief quickly dissipated when Sarah kept pulling the trigger.

And pulling it.

Over and over it clicked against her forehead and the longer it went on the more her sobbing escalated.

Sam had never seen anything like this. She desired death. Moments before she'd been defending her right to live and be a person, how she'd fought to get here. But now she wanted it all to end.

Even though Sam resented her for killing Cassie, it hurt him to see a young girl doing this to herself.

"Stop," Sam said gently, reaching out to take it.

She clicked the trigger more furiously and then wailed in frustration and pain when it still had no effect.

"Sarah," Sam said again, finding his voice was cracking.

This was too much to watch. He had to put an end to this.

"Sarah it's not loaded," he insisted, reaching to take the gun from her. The handle was hot. He froze. _How long has she been holding it like this?_

"Please," she begged. "Don't take it from me." She clung to it for dear life.

Or sweet death.

"I just want it to be calm and quiet again," she whispered, gasping for air.

Sam didn't know what she meant but he understood she was somehow in pain. Regardless, he placed a hand over her clenched ones. "Put it down," he said again, his voice gentle. Then suddenly a thought came to him. "Is this why you wanted to stay behind?"

Without opening her eyes, she shook her head. "N-no," she said weakly. "I didn't want anyone searching the trunk."

He bit his lip in thought. "Why would you care if it was searched?"

Sarah was calming down a bit more. This was the most Sam had talked to her in one sitting without being mad at her. "Because this is Dean's car," she said.

"Why does that matter to you?"

She growled in frustration. "Because it _does_ ," she insisted, clinging to the gun tighter.

Sam rubbed a thumb over her knuckles and her grip loosened a bit. "Why?" He asked one more time.

She took a deep breath. "Because," she said through gritted teeth, "I know this car matters to Dean more than anything. I have all these memories that don't belong to me but I have them regardless. They aren't mine, but they're all I have," she croaked. "I don't have anything that's just mine.

Sam took a deep breath, putting his own pain aside so he could address hers. "What you're doing right now is just yours," he pointed out. "Do you really want _this_ to be it? The moment of wishing for death? Is that what you want to your name?"

She shook her head. "I just want this suffering to end," she admitted. "I'm in love with you," she said shamelessly, making Sam flush with color. "I saw and felt everything. Cassandra's excitement and surprise when you got her those clothes, the ecstasy and desire of being with you for the first time, the fire in her first kiss, the affection towards you…the joy of seeing you, the anguish of being apart…" her voice grew louder. "I was forced to see you through her eyes, and because of that I have no choice but to love you!"

Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was the worst case of unrequited love in history.

"Why does it change anything if I blow my brains out?" she asked. "You want me dead anyway, especially if it means that you get her back."

Sam couldn't deny any of that, but still…

"I didn't know any of that," he said, immediately overwhelmed with regret. It was an odd feeling to know every intimate encounter he'd had with Cassie had been not only seen but _felt_ , and it didn't exactly make him feel comfortable.

But this explained quite a lot.

"And I understand why you love her," she said. "That's the worst part. It makes perfect sense. All of it."

"Sarah," he insisted, pulling at the gun, trying to get it out of her hands, but it didn't budge.

What was worse, she kept talking.

"She's beautiful, smart, worldly, and you relate to her. You're both drifters, people from broken homes, ones who've had to fight to survive. She loves the people around her as fiercely as you do."

Sam didn't want to be reminded of these things. It was just adding salt to an open wound, being fully aware of what had been taken out of his life.

But she kept going.

"She may not have been the strongest person in the world, but she was stubborn and refused to give up. What she lacked in endurance she made up for in relentlessness."

"Sarah, I'd feel a bit better talking to you if you put the gun – "

" – Do you know what I had to do to win our duel?"

Sam froze. He'd been dying to know, so he'd have another excuse to hate her.

He didn't respond as he started up the car, waiting for her to put the Smith & Wesson back into the glove box.

The part she said after all of that he barely heard.

"I had to materialize myself in her mind to look like you."

Sam's eyes widened in horror.

 _No, no way in hell. It's impossible._

"She'd thought she'd stabbed you because I altered my appearance to match yours. I even got your voice down. It was easy because she had you memorized down to a T," she said weakly, without malice.

But inside Sam was screaming.

"She heard your voice calling to her, telling her to wake up, and she got distracted. That was the moment I took my chance and killed her," she admitted.

Sam's knuckles were white as he clutched the steering wheel.

He wanted to yell and hit things and let lose more tears but he couldn't.

He was a statue.

Cassie's death couldn't be his fault. It just couldn't.

But it made sense. It was the only thing he knew Cassie would be willing to die for.

"If you hadn't tried speaking to her, I wouldn't have been able to – "

" – Hold that gun to your head for as long as you want," Sam's voice had changed from soft to hard and cold in milliseconds. He was a shadow of his usual warm, caring self.

He was done putting his pain aside and trying to convince someone life was worth living.

Because as far as he was concerned, it wasn't anymore.


	60. Chapter 60: No More Wallowing

Chapter 60

No More Wallowing

There was some part of Sam that wanted to slap himself in the face.

It was night time now as they drove down highway 80, already halfway through Pennsylvania. And it had been several hours that Sam had allowed Sarah to cling to that Smith & Wesson and cradle it against her chest like it was her newborn child.

Some part of Sam would have felt sick at the sight, but _this_ Sam didn't care.

On top of the slow descent into madness that his brother was experiencing because of the Mark of Cain, Castiel's dying Grace and trying to track down Metatron, he now had to deal with a suicidal girl who was only this way because of something that had been entirely out of her control.

Despite all of this going on, his pain over losing Cassandra was taking precedence.

"Sam," Sarah finally said, biting her lip and holding back another breakdown.

He didn't reply, but waited for what she was about to say.

"The only reason you're keeping me around is because of the off-chance that Cassie will resurface, right?" she asked quietly.

Sam cleared his throat.

She sighed. "Well…If she doesn't…what do you all plan to do with me?"

Sam hadn't thought that far ahead, and the question disturbed him.

Because the old him would've cared about where a young, wayward girl ended up.

In fact, that's how he had come to care for Cassandra in the first place.

And he also refused to acknowledge that Cassie wasn't going to come back. "You were hearing messages on Angel Radio from Metatron. You were only able to because of Cassie. She _is_ coming back. It's only a matter of time."

"She can't come back if I find some ammo for this gun," Sarah muttered.

That was the moment when Sam snapped.

He veered the Impala off the road and parked it abruptly. The movement was so quick it caused Sarah's weight to bang her into the car door.

Without a word, Sam stepped out of the car, slammed his door shut, then stomped over to Sarah's side and yanked open the door.

What he did next was so unlike Sam Sarah didn't process it until after it had happened.

He grabbed her coat sleeve and shoved her out of the car, onto the ground. He used minimum effort but the force was so great it was as though he was tossing away a cloth rag doll.

He stood tall and looming, a furious roman god in the pale moonlight. "If you weren't a woman and potentially carrying my girlfriend, I would've beaten the shit out of you by now," he growled.

Sarah froze, all cockiness and attitude gone.

"I don't know what Dean and I would have to do with you if Cassie didn't come back, but I know one thing for sure." He knelt down so he was at her level.

Every word there onward was said in the darkest tone Sarah had ever heard come out of a human being.

His eyes were black with rage. "We're not going to let you kill yourself. For a few reasons. One, you killed my girlfriend so you could live. Her death is not going to be for nothing. I will not let that happen."

Sarah bit her lip, forcing herself not to panic. She didn't dare try to stand up again.

"The other reason is _you killed someone_. Because of that, you don't have the right to feel unhappy or guilty. You don't get to despise the fact that the memories you have don't belong to you."

" _Bullshit_ I don't. I maybe had five minutes of being a newborn before I was under someone else's control. It was hell!"

" _Being possessed by Lucifer and stuck in the cage for over one thousand years_ is Hell. At least you were taken care of, and owned by someone like Cassie who was compassionate and despite the situation, concerned for you. You could've had it a lot worse!"

"I don't even know what I'm going to do. Most people figure out who they are by the time they're in middle school but I didn't _have_ that luxury. I don't even know how I like my coffee, or if I even _like_ coffee, or what my favorite color is!"

Sam took a deep breath and turned away from her for a moment. "Do you know why you broke down and wanted to kill yourself? The _real_ reason?"

She didn't say a word.

It took all of Sam's willpower not to scream this at the top of his lungs. "You're not having an identity crisis. You know who you are. You're dealing with the fact that you not only _ended_ someone's life, but you _stole_ one. You were right when you said that nothing you have is yours. Your clothes, your memories, everything down to what you remember about me…all of that you stole from Cassie."

This was all too much for her to hear. Because not only did she not think of it that way at all, she knew deep down he was right.

Sam laughed darkly. "What the hell did you expect? That after you'd defeated her, Dean and I would welcome you with open arms? That I'd fall in love with you on the spot, Cas would take you in as his sister, and everything would be hunky-dory? Life doesn't work that way. You can't just take someone's place and pick up where they left off!"

Considering everything that had happened, Sarah should've been crying to be spoken to in such a way.

But instead she was annoyed. She was being lectured as if she were a child.

And the most frustrating part was that she _was_.

She knew nothing of the world, only what she could learn through Cassie's eyes. Some part of her had truly believed it. That if she played house long enough, it would eventually become real. Sam would get over Cassie, and come to terms with the fact they could've never had a future together anyway.

But this was just another example of how she was naïve and childish.

Sam was about to continue his rant but then his phone went off in his pocket.

The caller ID signaled it was his brother.

"Dean?"

" _I figured out what he was telling the woman in the video."_

Sam switched gears. "What was it?"

" _His next stop. And we gotta hurry and knock him off before he figures out what Team Angel is up to."_

Sam nodded. "Okay. You still at the bunker?"

Dean hesitated. _"Not exactly. I'll send you the coordinates over text. Meet me there."_

"Okay. Tell Gadreel to pick up Sarah from Brookville, Pennsylvania off of route 80 – "

" _Sam, Gadreel's dead."_

Sam flinched. _Shit._ "How?"

" _Cas called me. He turned himself into a suicide bomber so Cas could get out of a prison cell in Heaven."_

"Shit, then we really are short for time. It won't take long for Heaven's finest to alert Metatron."

" _Glad we're on the same page, little brother."_

* * *

Chuck inconveniently and unhelpfully disappeared after working his miracle of putting Cassie back together again, leaving it up to her to claw her way back up to consciousness.

It was not going to be easy.

Cassie took off her layers of clothing so she just had the tank top and jeans. No use keeping a blood-soaked shirt or socks.

Come to think of it, she probably could've just materialized cleaner clothes, but she didn't care _that_ much. She was too busy.

"Okay," she told herself, staring at the reflective surface in front of her.

The beautiful, silver-framed mirror that Sarah had used to make it back to the real world.

All Cassie had to do was walk through it.

Theoretically.

But then she froze when she saw Sam's face instead of her own.

"Sam," she breathed, beaming and cupping a hand over her mouth to stop herself from shouting his name.

But he looked furious.

And then she heard his voice.

 _"If you weren't a woman and potentially carrying my girlfriend, I would've beaten the shit out of you by now."_

Cassie flinched when she realized what she was seeing.

Sarah was in control, and Sam _knew_ it was Sarah.

He didn't know Cassie was there, listening. He couldn't even see her.

But he hadn't lost hope. He'd kept Sarah safe because he believed she could come back. The words _potentially carrying my girlfriend_ repeated themselves over and over in her consciousness.

She had to get to him.

She pressed a fingertip to the glass –

And met resistance.

"No," she said, starting to panic. She pressed her whole palm to the surface of the mirror, but nothing.

She wasn't fazing through, like Sarah had.

She was stuck.

It was like an interview was happening on one side of a door, and she was on the other, waiting on line for her turn.

But if left up to Sarah, she wouldn't _get_ a turn. Ever.

Sam. Her Sam, was right there, just out of reach.

It was sheer torture.

"Come on," she said through gritted teeth, banging on its surface with her fists.

It still wasn't budging.

"What the hell?!" she exclaimed. "Isn't this supposed to be like some Hogwarts shit? Damn Mirror, come on! Platform 9 and three quarters me, Bitch!"

But it was no use.

All she could do was stare at its surface, watching the life that no longer belonged to her.

 _Welcome to my world,_ Cassie imagined Sarah saying.

* * *

Dean timed it so he and Crowley would end up at the rendezvous point before Sam and Sarah, by a large margin.

 _Sick my ass,_ he thought. Gadreel hadn't needed to beam him to the Bunker. That had just been a waste of time until he'd summoned Crowley. Sure he was coughing up blood. So what? That wasn't the first time that's happened.

And he needed to end this.

But it wasn't because Metatron was a giant dickbag.

Or that Dean needed to avenge his Lover and the loss of his grace.

It wasn't even because this war between the Angels had to come to an end, and they needed to get back into Heaven, no VIP access required.

It was mostly because he really really needed to stick the First Blade into something.

"So I take it you don't want Brother Dearest to know about our tryst this evening?"

Dean shook his head. "None of his business."

Crowley shrugged. "He's going to wonder how you got here so fast, without a vehicle. He'll be asking you questions."

"No, he won't," Dean said.

"And why is that?" Crowley inquired, looking over at Dean.

"Because he's going to know how I got here, he just doesn't need to know anything else. Including what you told me earlier."

Crowley nodded.

It was then the purr of the Impala sounded in the distance, and grew gradually larger as it came into full view.

The dark night shone on its surface, making it sparkle with the twinkle of stars.

They were in a parking lot, near what was known as a Homeless-Hangout for cart pushers and income-less people wrapped in old, moth-eaten sweaters.

The perfect place for a homely prophet like Marv to make his debut.

Sam's expression wasn't exactly content when he stepped out of the car to see Dean side by side with Crowley.

Again.

"Relax, I was just the designated teleporter," Crowley said, his hands up.

"Yeah, you've been doing that a lot, haven't you?" Sam growled, stepping towards him. "Like teleporting Cassie so you could perform the awakening spell? Because _that_ went really fucking well, Crowley. Take a look at your handiwork!"

He gestured to Sarah as she stepped out of the car.

Crowley's eyes widened.

She was wearing the same bloodstained clothes that he'd left Cassandra in hours earlier, but it definitely wasn't her.

This woman was significantly taller, with longer legs and rounded face. Her hair was long and textured with natural ringlets of gold and copper, with dark eyes that didn't shine in the light of the streetlamps like Cassie's had.

"I was not expecting this outcome," Crowley tried to say lightheartedly. "I was truly looking forward to having an Angel of Heaven owe me a favor."

Dean rolled his eyes, then got back to the trouble at hand. "Sam, I'm as pissed as you are about this whole thing, but as much as I hate saying it…it's not entirely Crowley's fault. Cassie's the one who summoned him – "

"– Actually, she just paid me a phone call," he corrected.

"– Oh, so a pair of blue eyes batting their lashes at you and all of a sudden you're whipped," Sam accused.

"– _Anyway,"_ Dean said with much emphasis, "Cassie's a big girl, she made her own choices, and that's it. If she's still in there, and she knows she screwed up, then she will make damn sure to find her way back to us. She's a strong person, I don't doubt her for a second, and neither should you."

Sam's argument got caught in his throat.

Despite his frustration, he knew Dean was right. He couldn't lose faith.

Not in her.

"And frankly, you need to put aside your self-pity and emotional turmoil so we can gank this bitch. Are we clear?" Dean asked.

Sam took a deep breath, darted his eyes between Sarah and Crowley with annoyance, but eventually nodded. "Yeah," he said, "Let's gank this bitch."

"Good," Dean said, and then immediately proceeded to punch Sam so hard he fell to the ground and didn't get back up again.


	61. Chapter 61: Resurgence

Chapter 61

Resurgence

"NOOOO!" Cassie screamed, banging and kicking at the glass. "Dean, the fuck?!" Tears were making her eyes misty but she couldn't let them fall.

They were already making her vision blurry.

She was sick of this. Sick of being trapped, of being powerless, all of it.

The sight of Sam knocked out cold on the harsh pavement was too much.

It was her breaking point.

Then suddenly she felt a pulsing heat from inside her.

She stumbled and almost fell over as her mind was bombarded with images. Cassie started hyperventilating, overwhelmed by the rush of light and sound.

But then her mind cleared.

Her fists made contact with the mirror's surface over and over until she'd established a rhythm.

A small crack formed in the middle.

* * *

Sarah gasped, putting a hand over her mouth.

She'd felt something from inside her.

A burst of energy that flowed outward as if from her core.

She knew what it was without giving it a name.

All she could do was stare, frozen where she stood.

"No," she didn't give any volume to her resistance.

She was supposed to have longer than this, so much longer.

But she felt her control slipping by the second.

Dean walked over to the Impala and popped open the trunk, pulling out a wrapped up bundle. "I'm sorry, little Brother," he said, looking down at Sam without a hint of remorse. "But this isn't your fight." He looked to Crowley. "Take her back to the Bunker."

"Blondie over there?" Crowley raised an eyebrow.

Sarah's eyes darted to Sam. "I don't want to leave him," she said through chattering teeth.

"I don't care," Dean said without emotion.

And suddenly Sarah was within the walls of the Bunker.

Crowley himself couldn't get in, but the least he could do was put people there.

"Oh God," she cried, sobbing. "I don't even know what _state_ we were in." Even if she got outside and figured out a mode of transportation, she wouldn't even know which direction to go.

Sarah couldn't call a doctor to help her. She didn't have any knowledge of spells or where to find one, and she'd never worked one before.

She didn't even know how to "summon" anything or anyone without a cell phone.

She was truly going to die. And the worst part was she would've even have been of any use to anyone before her untimely demise.

Could she have used the First Blade to take out Metatron? No. Did she know how to revive someone after knocking them out? No. Was she useful to them in any way?

Absolutely fucking not.

Sarah wasn't equipped to deal with this.

Monsters, Angels, Demons…she wasn't part of the Dark World that the Winchesters walked in on a daily basis. If she'd had a normal life, she never would've known about the existence of ghosts or witches or vampires.

She would've been a happy, clueless, ordinary girl.

That was the role she was meant to play.

But from the moment Cassandra the Dual Wielder entered her life, that stopped being an option.

Even if Cassandra hadn't been inside her, waiting for the opportunity when Sarah put her guard down, she knew she never would've found a place in the Real World.

She came into contact with the Winchesters. And that meant she had one foot in the shadows and the other in her grave.

She was weak and afraid and useless. She wouldn't've lasted long.

Sarah suddenly coughed and gasped for air, collapsing to the ground.

Cassie was fighting hard. The sensation Sarah was feeling was similar to the pain of child birth, but in reverse: instead of giving birth to new life, her life force was being sucked _out_ of her.

"Damn you," Sarah rasped, "who do you think you are, the comeback bitch?" She clutched at her stomach, tears streaming freely.

But the presence inside her had shifted.

Something was different.

It was Cassie, but at the same time, not. It was an ancient presence, something that felt very strong, very old, and full of power.

"Look," Sarah forced out with the little oxygen she had left, "I don't care if getting back your mojo changes how you feel. You save Sam. Help Dean. Fix Cas. Stop that Mega-man or whatever he's called. Do what I can't."

The chilling response echoed deep and dark inside her chest.

 _I intend to._

* * *

Two of the three people she loved the most were in the line of fire, because of one of her own kind.

Cassandra was no longer going to stand by and watch it happen.

With purpose she walked several yards backward from the mirror, putting a great deal of distance between herself and the exit.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Flashes were coming back. The scent of blood, both Angel and Demon alike. Wars fought on battlefields that stretched on for miles, Angels in human vessels that wore armor and sandals, carrying ancient Angel Swords and Angel blade-tipped spears.

Cassandra felt her wings spreading across her back, invisible but large and strong, fully rested after thousands of years lying dormant.

There was strength and light flowing around her in golden ropes, emanating the nostalgic joy only one who's lived for thousands of years would recognize.

She turned around to face her reflection in the mirror, an intense and determined set of icy blue eyes looking back at her.

The woman staring was a fully-realized Warrior of Heaven.

She'd seen war, death, Hell's servants and humans alike. She remembered witnessing creation itself, side by side with her dearest father.

Some Angels had never even _seen_ God.

But _she_ had.

She thought about him now, and about the purpose she was created for.

Protecting his greatest creation: Humanity.

She kneeled into a sprinting position, her fingertips ready to help her spring forth from the ground.

Without a sound, her black leather boots flew through the air as she crashed into the mirror, destroying its surface and finally breaking through.

* * *

There was a blinding light and intense high pitched whine that shattered most of the ceramic mugs in the Bunker and set the Men of Letters' Tech devices haywire.

She'd seared her vessel from the inside out.

Once the light faded, the woken Angel looked around her.

She stretched an arm out and curled her fingers to make sure her body was hers again.

It was.

But she looked down at herself and found that her clothing had been incinerated.

Without taking a moment to feel awkward about her nakedness, Cassie leaped to her feet and sprinted with a gazelle's grace down the hall to snatch up the first bit of flexible clothing she could find.

Armor wasn't exactly incorporated into one's wardrobe anymore, so denim would have to do. It was thick, durable, and would protect her from potential wounds from Angel blades.

It just restricted movement a bit.

"I'll deal with it," she told herself out loud.

She quickly threw a black tank top over herself after finding a bra, and ripped up an old faded light blue t-shirt into strips to wrap and tie tightly around her knuckles and wrists. Better traction for her blades, which had smooth, metallic handles. True, the modernized design was meant for slipping down your sleeve with ease to make a quick and stealthy kill, but she didn't fight that way.

Her technique was…different.

Her hair had grown to well past her lower region, and turned back to its ebony appearance, but the length was impractical for fighting.

She quickly whipped out her Angel Blade to slice across her hair so it was mid length, then turned it back into her watch. Lastly, she ran back down the hall to the main study, rummaged through her backpack and pulled out Suan Ywe Gou all in a matter of seconds before running out of the Bunker's entrance.

It had started to snow, and Cassie wasn't wearing socks let alone shoes, but she didn't even feel the cold.

She stared up at the open sky with longing and without a second thought, leaped into the air until she was over the spot that she sensed the gentle energy of Sam's soul and Metatron.

The pendant he'd given her still hung on her neck, sparkling in the light of the moon.

She held it tight in one hand while clutching the Sam's precious gift to her upon their first meeting in the other.

Without Sarah's contribution she never would've had the chance to save him.

It was because of her vessel's sacrifice that she had the opportunity to help them defeat Metatron once and for all. She could feel the night under her wings again, and truly revel in being one with the wide open expanse of sky.

She breathed in the cold air, energized and invigorated as her wings cut through the air like a dagger with tremendous speed.

"Thank you, Sarah," she breathed, and descended.

* * *

Sam was starting to come to, groaning with pain as he clutched his head. The cold air had already made his fingers and toes completely numb, but despite all of these uncomfortable sensations, there was a driving force inside him urging Sam to get to his feet.

Then he remembered.

"Dean" he said under his breath and quickly got himself upright, adrenaline replacing the sensation of fatigue in his limbs. He took off running but to his surprise, found a dark lithe figure darting through the darkness in front of him with a speed he'd never seen in any human.

Sam froze. "No…" he saw the wild feather-like strands whipping behind the mysterious stranger's back.

He'd know that mess of hair anywhere. The young Hunter had run his fingers through it countless times.

Sam didn't give his heart time to falter.

He took off after her.


	62. Chapter 62: Comeback

**Hey, guys! I'll try to make this quick so you guys can get to reading. I've been waiting to write this scene for over a year (in fact this scene in my mind was part of what inspired the entire story) but of course you can't just skip to an epic fight sequence. You, ladies and gentleman, have finally made it to the meat and potatoes of this story. So far it's been salad and cookies stolen from the dessert table…okay I'll stop with the metaphor. But anyway, songs I was listening to as I wrote these past few chapters have been Escape the Fate's** _ **This War is Ours**_ **(The Guillotine II)** _ **Indestructible**_ **by Disturbed, Seven Deadly Sins Opening 2 and surprisingly,** _ **Let it Go**_ **by Demi Lovato. Strange combination, I know, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Without further ado, I give you the end of Season 9.**

Chapter 62

Comeback

Miraculously, Sam made it to the scene before the mysterious stranger.

But he didn't make it in time.

Everything around him fell silent, the sight before him drowning out everything else.

Dean with a blade through his chest, covered in blood.

"NO!" he shouted, frozen in place.

Metatron stepped back, withdrawing the blade now coated in Dean's blood, a look of triumph stamped on his face.

But seconds later there was a blur and all of a sudden a young woman was kneeling in front of Dean, placing one hand over his heart and the other on his forehead.

The dread is Sam's heart was replaced with disbelief and elation.

It was Cassandra.

There were a few blonde streaks left over from her previous vessel, but it was her. The coat Dean had gotten her was surprisingly unadorned, and instead she was barefoot and in a tank top, her forearms and fists wrapped like an ancient Warrior in torn cloth.

But she didn't look cold at all.

The joy of seeing her again, whole and healthy for the first time in so long brought back all of the memories he had with her. The first time she ran into his arms wearing her teal Carhartt, the moment she jumped into his arms after he'd gotten her the clothes and little red coffee maker, the way she curled against him and fell asleep after they'd made love…

But was she still that person? Or was she a different creature entirely?

Sam rushed over, unable to stand still any longer.

"Cassie!" he cried, finally making it over to the two of them.

Cassie gasped at the sound of his voice, unbelieving that a human could have such an effect on her.

But it did.

He enveloped her in his arms and buried his face in her neck. "Thank God," he murmured.

Her cheeks flushed with color and heat, relishing in the feel of him. But she had a task at hand. "Sam," she said breathily, trying to get him to focus.

Sam let her go and kneeled next to her, staring at Dean in horror.

Dean glanced at Cassie and smiled, but to their shock, still slumped to the side, weak and spent.

Cassie pressed over and over, filling him with her healing light. Her heart pooled with fear as his wounds healed, but the damage remained. "I don't understand," she muttered. She tried again, her hands placed on Dean. "He's healed but somehow he's still dying," she said with frustration.

Dean was smirking. "You took your sweet time, huh Princess?"

Cassie gritted her teeth. "I'm trying to fix you, you asshole," she said.

Sam grinned. _She's still Cassie._

Dean "booped" her nose with the tip of his finger. "Figures you wouldn't show up again until we'd sent you home," he said with a raspy voice.

Cassie rolled her eyes and sighed, but then turned her attention to Sam. "Good to see you again," she said with surprising shyness, unable to make eye contact with him.

Sam exhaled, letting out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "You were starting to worry me," he admitted.

"I know," she said matter of factedly. "I saw…but the anxiety was unnecessary," she said, looking down at herself, then back at him as if to say, "here I am," with a gentle smile.

Behind them, Metatron was silent.

His presence burned itself into Cassie's back. "Sam, there's something I have to do," she said, trying to put conviction behind her words.

"No," he said automatically, cupping her face. "Not alone."

"You don't know who I am now," she insisted, still averting her eyes. "I don't want…" she said vaguely, looking off to the side.

"You don't want the man you love to see you make a necklace out of Megadick's entrails?" Dean suggested. He was in no position to talk but he still was showing some sass…miraculously.

Cassie shot him a disapproving look. "I can't do this if I have to worry about the safety of you two," she said, looking between them.

Sam swallowed nervously. "Cassie, look at me."

She finally did.

Sam's eyes widened, realizing there was something he had to admit to himself.

Cassie was back, but different.

Those bright, blue orbs were filled with a timelessness and primordiality that aged her. She had an awareness that wasn't there before.

He was looking into the eyes of someone who'd lived for several millennia. The gaze of an ancient relic.

She gazed back at him with determination. "I've done what I can for Dean. Watch over him."

"Cassie, you can't – "

" – I love you too," she said, before taking his face in both her hands and planting the kiss that would send him back to the Bunker.

Once he had disappeared, she looked down at Dean, who was fading fast.

"Cassie…" he said weakly. "Tell your brother I love 'im…please."

Her eyes filled with despair but her voice was angry. "You're going to tell him yourself, you coward," she insisted.

Dean leaned his head back, nodding as if he believed her. "Yeah. I never had the balls to say it to his face, but I do. And…somethin' else," he coughed. "I'm proud of us. Of you."

A few thousand years ago, the words of one human would not have meant much to her. Seraph Cassandra, Dual Wielder and Angel of the Lord had never needed the approval and praise of a lowly human.

But for some reason, those few words coming from Dean meant the world to her.

She gently pressed the tips of her fingers to his forehead, and spirited him away back to the Bunker.

Now it was just her and Metatron.

She turned to face him, changing her watch into the Angel Blade that fell into her palm with a familiar ease, and the unfamiliar yet similar feel of the Suan Ywe Gou in her other hand.

Metatron was smiling. "I must admit…you've surpassed my expectations," he said.

Cassie had to make this quick. Metatron was the Holy Scribe. Words were his main weapon. The more she allowed him to talk, the more distracted she'd get until he'd made his escape.

Unless he wanted to kill her.

"You mean the expectation that I wouldn't come back?" Cassandra replied, not betraying any emotion.

"That you'd make yourself the Winchesters' Ex-Machina," Metatron shot back, his arms crossed.

Cassie smirked. "You know, I've done a lot of reading in the past twenty or so years. You're not the only one who understands the use of literary devices."

"Perhaps, but you could never write a story like I have," he said, starting to walk closer.

 _If he's planning to actually killing me, the best tactic would be to get him overly emotional so he doesn't think logically. When he goes to strike, I'll apprehend him._ "Well let's see," she said, starting to slowly pace in circles around him. "A well-regarded warrior dies in a gloriously epic battle after taking an arrow for her beloved Commander, Michael the Archangel. The adored Dual Wielder of God falls, leaving numerous battalions in mourning and complete chaos. Then, thousands of years later, despite having no memory and minimal powers, the Seraph Cassandra rises again during our brothers and sisters most dire time of need. Their Champion, back from the Dead to Fight Heaven's Newest Oppressor." She looked up at him in smug victory. "Sounds to me like the best Comeback story ever written."

Metatron was no longer smiling. "It's not original in the slightest. Comeback stories? There are thousands out there. Superman, The Chronicles of Narnia, everything Tolkien has ever written, Harry Potter, Star Wars, even freakin' _War of the Witches_ was a comeback story! Your story is no different from thousands of others!"

"Exactly," Cassie pointed out. "I'm a timeless classic. No doubt a best-seller. And what are you? A little kid putting on Daddy's shirt and tie, pretending to be God?"

"You're a war grunt, and nothing more," Metatron insisted, but Cassie could see she was starting to get to him.

" _You're_ nothing," she said, laughing. "You're a secretary with a magic rock. Who's to say that God saw anything special in you anyway? For all I know, God chose you to write down the word because you were the closest one to the door."

"ENOUGH!" Metatron growled, pulling out his Angel blade and swiping at her.

But Cassie dodged and nicked Metatron's cheek.

He howled in Anger, breathing hard. "I know your code!" he exclaimed. "You won't kill a member of your own kind. Or have you forgotten after all this time?"

Cassie was almost ninja-esque in her kneeling position. "Who said anything about killing you," she countered.

He was powered by the word of God but Metatron wasn't built for Combat. Cassie was light, agile, and fast. Being two thousand years out of practice didn't seem to be deterring her much. She was an Acrobat, a Samurai, an expert Swordsman, and an urban runner all in one.

If she wanted, he'd be dead.

But he was right. Despite her feelings, she refused to sink to his level of killing one of her own. She needed to have something to set her apart from him.

He couldn't even get his blade to make contact with her skin. Cassie was moving too fast, truly a ghost risen from the grave.

"You manipulated me into performing the awakening spell in the hopes of killing me off," she said, taking another whack at him. "You tricked my brother into relinquishing his Grace, and you caused the deaths of hundreds of our brothers and sisters."

Finally she decided to give him a break, stepping back. He was covered in nicks and scrapes, while Cassie herself didn't even have a hair out of place.

"I agree with you on some levels, " she admitted. "The members of our family in Heaven are lost, and they need someone to lead them. But what you are doing is wrong. Father didn't create us to govern our own people. We aren't meant for that."

"I know that!" Metatron screamed. "But what choice do we have? He abandoned us!"

Cassie sighed, wiping her brow. "Maybe he just got tired of watching his own children kill each other," she said remorsefully.

Metatron stiffened, having no desire to take in her words.

Then suddenly out of nowhere, the earth shook with such force it made them both stumble, and thunder filled the sky like a thousand drums.

Cassie dropped her weapons and held her hands to her ears. The buildings around them rained pieces of rubble and debris, while the pipes let lose water and steam as they were shaken from their hinges. The dark night sky filled with an intense white light as a supernova of energy surrounded them.

After the shaking and thunder had stopped, she turned to look at Metatron, once again wielding her weapons.

But he was gone.

* * *

Castiel, by the grace of god (no pun intended) managed to get into Metatron's office, and found the Angel Tablet, residing underneath his Typewriter on the Main writer's desk. All thanks to Gadreel's act of Bravery.

But Metatron then showed up moments later.

"Well played, Castiel," he said.

Cas froze in place.

Metatron looked around his office. "Obviously, you and Gadreel managed to turn some dead-enders against me," he stated.

"Gadreel is dead," Castiel said with pain but purpose. He stared down Metatron, projecting that he pinned the blame on him for Gadreel sacrificing himself.

Metatron looked momentarily surprised at his statement, but nodded. "Ah. So Gadreel bites the dust." His gaze went to the floor, underneath his desk. "And the Angel Tablet…arguably the most powerful weapon in the history of the universe is in pieces and for what again? Oh, that's right. To save Dean Winchester."

Castiel looked off to the side, willing color not to rise to his cheeks. It wasn't totally true. Metatron was a tyrant and needed to go down, for the sake of his people.

But also…even though Dean had the Mark of Cain and the First Blade…deep down Castiel never believed he had a chance against the word of God. He'd needed to do everything in his power to give Dean any kind of advantage.

So Metatron wasn't _completely_ off the mark.

"That was your main goal, right? I mean you draped yourself in the flag of Heaven but ultimately it was about saving one human, right?"

Castiel stared at the shards of the Angel Tablet under his feet, still not regretting his decision as long at it had aided in sparing Dean's life.

"Well guess what," Metatron said in a foreboding tone, breaking Cas from his thoughts. "He's dead too."

Everything in Castiel's world stopped.

No he wasn't.

He couldn't be.

Dean's lips against his, the way it felt to be held in his embrace, the taste of his skin…Castiel would know if he were dead. He'd have felt it. He was sure.

Cas stared at Metatron, his eyesight starting to go blurry as he panicked. That is, until his vision focused all of the cuts and blood Metatron's vessel was spewing. "Then who made those," Castiel pointed out, refusing to give into his despair.

Metatron scowled, not replying.

Upon closer inspection, Castiel saw that the wounds must have been inflicted by an Angel Blade. Metatron wasn't healing like he should, and the slashes were too delicate to be made with the First Blade.

Which meant it could've only been one person. "My sister," Castiel said, the relief in his voice apparent. "She's alive."

Metatron huffed. "So it would seem," he said reluctantly. "And she's a bigger pain in the ass than I anticipated her to be, not unlike you."

"Well, that's to be expected," Castiel countered, unable to contain a smile.

"Not only that…" Metatron said, losing his calm demeanor, "You're in my chair."

Castiel gasped and tried to get away when he felt Angel cuffs clasp onto his wrists, holding him in place.

"If Cassandra has awakened then it's only a matter of time before your lies are exposed. You will never get away with this," Castiel growled.

Metatron rolled his eyes. "Get away with what? You told a silly story to a group of less than believers. I'll clean up your mess in an hour.

Cas flinched. _How dare you._ "You give our brothers and sisters far too little credit. They will soon learn that you have been playing them."

He laughed. "And _then_?" Metatron pointed out. "They will do nothing! Because they are frightened little sheep following my crook wherever it leads. And where _I'm_ taking them…back to our rightful place atop this mountain of human shame and excrement…when _that_ happens, trust me! They're not gonna _care_ how they got there!"

 _There is more to Earth than that…_ Castiel thought defiantly. _There is life, love, and brotherhood in more than one form._

Once again, Cas thought of Dean. Of His sister. The connection that was shared and exchanged over every plate and note that played on the record player on Christmas day. Despite how fucked up they all were, the scene had been almost normal. If it hadn't taken place in a bunker and they weren't such a band of misfits, they could've really been a real family.

"You know why you could never quite pull it together, Castiel? Why you're sitting here with your grace slowly burning away and your reputation long extinguished?" Metatron withdrew his Angel Blade once more. "No Curiosity. You didn't read enough. You never learned how to tell a good story."

Castiel took that moment to stare at Metatron with a determined, victorious gaze. "But you did," he said, turning to the recording device in the corner.

Moments later, when the other Angels of Heaven had heard Metatron's unbeknownst confession, they came in and apprehended him.

A few other Angels including Hannah came to unshackle Castiel.

"My sister is alive," he told her with anxiousness. "Grant her entry immediately. Send someone to lead her to Heaven's entrance."

She nodded, snapping her fingers and repeating the order to a young female angel dressed as a telemarketer.

"What do you want us to do with him?" Hanna asked.

Castiel turned to Metatron.

He said Dean was dead.

He still refused to believe it, but he had to know.

"Keep him alive. I have questions."

* * *

Cassandra diligently tuned into Angel Radio to see if she could pick up any information of Metatron's whereabouts.

She was relieved to discover that a few of Heaven's staff members had taken him into custody.

 _My brothers and sisters have done well,_ she thought to herself, and smiled as she heard praise and acceptance from them towards Castiel, her sweet, compassionate brother.

No doubt the servants of Heaven would have work waiting for her when she got back, but at the moment she had something else she needed to take care of.

In an instance, she was outside the entrance of the Bunker. Because she was no longer human, she needed someone from the inside to let her in. She knocked on the door.

It took a bit but Sam made it up the stairs and opened it, immediately suspicious.

But his face reflected relief at the sight of his girlfriend.

"I'm back," Cassie said, her cheeks flushing immediately at the sight of Sam. "Castiel and a few other Angels took Metatron into custody. It's over," she said.

Sam didn't even seem to process her words.

He simply scooped her up and held her tight, not saying a word.

"I'm okay, Sam," she reassured him. "You didn't need to worry."

"I tried summoning Crowley," Sam said to her surprise, "But he hasn't showed up. Dean's…." he didn't finish.

That was when Cassandra realized his body was shaking with contained sobs.

"No," she said, unbelieving. "I poured everything I had into him. It's impossible."

Sam shook his head, finally putting her down and allowing himself to let loose a few tears. "He's gone, Cassie," he said, barely able to talk.

"Where is he?" she asked, wiping a hand underneath his eye to catch the tears.

"I put him in his bedroom," he said with obvious difficulty. "We always figure something out. Had an Angel heal us, went to the hospital, performed a spell, made a deal with a demon…whatever it took to keep each other alive…but this time I don't know what to do…" Sam let Cassandra go and closed the door behind them, starting to pace. "There has to be something," he muttered.

Cassie immediately starting rushing down the hall.

This was worse than she thought.

"Sam, there's a reason my healing didn't work on him," she started to say in a rush as Sam followed.

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked, wiping his face on his sleeve.

Cassandra now had back all of her knowledge she had collected over the first two thousand years of her life. She knew what the Mark of Cain was.

And what it could do.

It had been pure rumors and lore up to this point, but now she had a sneaking suspicion…"Do you know how Cain became the first demon?" Cassie asked him, heading to Dean's bedroom.

Sam shook his head.

She took a deep breath, her fists balled up before she opened the door. "According to the story, he couldn't live with what he was becoming, and so he attempted to end his life. He died."

Sam waited for more, staring at Cassie with confusion.

She turned to look Sam in the eyes. "But it didn't work," she said.

Sam stared at her, then at Dean's door.

Without any further hesitation, she turned the knob so they could both enter.

The bed was empty.

Cassie inhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair nervously, finally looking towards Sam with the grimmest and most somber expression he'd ever seen on her.

"Dean's not dead. He's something worse."

 _TO BE CONTINUED IN **THE LIFE OF AN ANGEL**_ **.**..


End file.
